Landlocked
by iesnoth
Summary: What do you do when the woman you love is in love with your boss? Jim Hawkins and Ariel come together in this blending of tales full of intrigue, magic, and trans-species love.
1. Grounded

James Hawkins leaned precariously by one arm from the rope ladder to look over the star cruiser's edge to the planet where he and his class would be getting their field training.

"You need to learn to use your _instincts_ instead of _instruments_ if you expect to be good captains." The commander had explained. "This planet has reduced spacing to a simple, but necessary, science. For a whole month you will train secretly there; they know nothing of the outside universe, except for their galaxy. This means no flying machinery, no advanced technology, no ET phone home. You are the smartest and the best, so you are expected to obey these instructions _to the letter_. And believe me, it will be in writing. Understood?" The whole class had voiced a unified affirmative.

"Good. Now, go pack. We leave at oh six hundred hours."

Jim hadn't been so excited about the trip. Seriously, a planet lightyears away from his friends and family? A planet that was so primitive as to not have solar powered equipment yet? Most importantly, a planet where they were practically rooted to the land? No way. But as he caught sight of it now, the clouds surrounding the planet's atmosphere slowly revealing the vast expanses of blue below, he felt his heart expand. A new adventure was on the horizon. He could feel it.

Flounder paced nervously in front of the grotto door, waiting for Ariel to come out prepared for their next escapade. He always hated this part, starting a new quest. The only thing that made their treasure hunts worthwhile was Ariel's expression when she found a new collector's item. But lately they'd had to venture farther and farther away from the palace to find new objects that caught her fancy, putting them in more and more danger.

"I should just go home." He whimpered, turning about to look wistfully in the direction of his school. "I should. But," there was no guarantee that Ariel wouldn't leave without him. He'd rather her be in danger with him there than without. He sighed. She won again, and she wasn't even there to argue. The yellow fish grinned wryly. She was _that_ irresistible. Just as Flounder was beginning to relax, something grabbed him from behind and pulled him to its chest.

"I'm ready!" Ariel bubbled, laughing at her friend's violent shaking. "Come on scaredy-fish." She coaxed, taking one of his fins. "Scuttle told me about a wreck site holding women's clothes that's only about two klicks from here. Come _on_!" And with that pleading glance, they were off.

For the next day, Jim watched his classmates get dropped off at different remote locations. He felt a slight pang as each one was taken away in a skiff. Though the class was highly competitive, they were the only family Jim had had the past two years.

"The people of this planet do not take well to people who look different than them, so your—more diversified classmates have to be sent to uninhabited areas heavily disguised," Captain Amelia said. When she had learned of Jim's assignment, she volunteered to escort Jim's Advanced Spacing class to their destinations so she could see him off. "You, however, have the advantage of looking like the humans, so you can experience everything more directly." Jim rolled his eyes. So primitive, he thought, as Vonsiya, a horned boy from Kynapis, was dropped off on a desert island with his private instructor. A girl with tentacles for hair was deposited in the middle of a marsh with her tutor, and Jim's close personal friend, Hannibal, who had thick blue fur and clawed feet, was sent to the arctic with his father to train. "You're lucky." The furry boy said. "You actually get to be in society, maybe even have fun, while I get to spend the next month trudging through ice with my dad." Jim winced inwardly. Even though it was Hannibal, he didn't like it when people talked ill of their fathers that they had there with them. Hannibal smiled wanly at Jim, realizing his mistake.

"I don't know how to have fun." Jim muttered before Hannibal could apologize. Morph chirped sadly, nuzzling his neck. Hannibal punched Jim's arm.

"Learn." He leaned in till the two youth's foreheads were pressed together. "Make friends. Have adventures. Do well. I expect stories when we get back to the Academy." Jim managed a smile.

"Fine, I'll try." They broke apart, Morph darting between them to give Hannibal a soppy good-bye. Jim wouldn't even watch his friend get in the boat, but he ran to the deck and watched the skiff till it disappeared into the landscape.

Finally, it came time for Jim to leave the familiar ship and embark on a new adventure. Since he would be training with one of the resident captains, only Captain Amelia accompanied him to the drop off point.

"Here, Jim, take the controls." Amelia handed the shrouded longboat's joystick to the student, who expertly directed the boat into the small clearing below. "You are to go to this address." Amelia said, handing him a slip of paper just before he jumped from the hovering vehicle. "You will train with the captain of the fleet there."

"How am I supposed to find it?" Jim asked, finally getting nervous. Amelia gave her former cabin boy her famous feline smile.

"It's a big white castle on the coast, Jim. Can't miss it." Jim nodded, turning away.

"And Jim?" Amelia called out to him. Jim turned back eagerly.

"Yeah."

"Best of luck." Jim smiled thinly, then headed through the thin woods to the beach.

Ariel was just coming up to the deck of the wrecked ship with her bounty when she saw it. The shadow of a ship, she was sure, but… she couldn't see the ship's hull where it pierced the water's surface. It was as if—the ship were _flying_. Without a second thought, Ariel shot toward the surface, a confused Flounder trailing behind. Ariel broke the sea's surface slowly, only her eyes poking over the water to survey the landscape and the sky above. Nothing. Just a few scattered clouds and a human boy on the shore fifty meters away, staring at the heavens as well.

Ariel wrote off the shadow as a figment of her overactive imagination and went in search of Scuttle, her reliable informant on all things human, with her fabric bounty.

When she reached the bird's lone rock, however, he had news that made her forget her new treasures.

"A ship is coming our way?" Ariel screeched in disbelief.

"Yea, sweetheart," Scuttle whistled, settling back in his chair-of-a-basket. "Three days from now, I heard. The Prince's birthday, they says." The mermaid bit her lower lip, trying to remember what was doing on that day and how she could get away to see this marvel. She thought she was free. In any case, the human ships did not come by Atlantica often-- probably her father's doing-- so if one was coming so close, she would see it at all costs.

"You're sure they're coming _this_ way, Scuttle? They usually try to stay away from the coast."

"As I said, sweetie, is only a party for the Prince. They ain't going nowhere. Just a little sea jaunt on the coast in the dark." Ariel smiled broadly at her friend. If it was at night, it was even better. The humans wouldn't be able to detect her in the dark.

"Thanks Scuttle!" She chirped, kissing the mangy bird on the cheek and swimming happily off without her bag of treasures or their definitions.

After two days of heavy training and review with Captain Harris of the Imperial Fleet, Jim was informed of his first hands-on assignment.

"First, I would like to commend you, Hawkins, on your hard work and exemplary skill. Your references were too modest." Jim bowed his head to cover a satisfied smile. "But you still have much to learn," the captain continued, "so your first assignment will be a simple one. You will be my honorary first mate on the Prince's birthday cruise. I usually don't keep a first mate—tempts mutiny methinks—but one night couldn't hurt, and it will be an invaluable experience for you, young Hawkins." The captain nodded approvingly to himself, then turned abruptly back to his ward, causing Jim's eyes to widen in mild surprise. Captain Harris was the jumpiest captain he'd ever met, if not the most paranoid. "But durin' the duration of the party, you are to stick by my side_ at all times._ You are only to relay orders that I give to the crew, go on short errands I give you, and observe the workings of the ship. There will be no interruptin' the professional sailors, and definitely no franternizin' with the guests. Am I clear?" Jim nodded, his eyes wide again. "The ship leaves at twenty hundred hours, but I expect you to be there at eighteen hundred sharp to inspect the ship with me. Make sure the artillery is all intact, that there are no stowaways, etcetera…" Jim's excitement drowned out the rest of the captain's monotonous list. His first real assignment. Finally. The last two days had been tedious and boring, going over what this did and what that was called. Jim had not even been out on a dingy so far, and his yearning for the sky was piqued by this restriction. If the captain had known the extent of his apprentice's experience, Jim would've been offended. But even though his assignment would probably be boring, he desperately wanted to be out at sea.

"… and we'll do any mending the sails need. I don't trust the men with my sails. Got it, Hawkins?" The captain was saying. Jim looked at the captain at the sound of his name. He'd been staring at the ceiling as if he could see through it to the sky.

"Yes sir, of course, sir," he nodded. The captain returned the nod, then squinted sharply at the boy. "When are you to be at the ship?"

"Eighteen hundred hours, sir." The captain squinted harder.

"Eighteen hundred hours what?"

"Sharp." Jim replied immediately, trying to keep his eyes from rolling. The captain nodded again, this time in dismissal, and Jim gratefully left the chamber.

The highlight of Jim's day was the two hours free time he used to work on his improvised solar surfer. He'd been able to smuggle the important bits with him by hiding them in his packed clothing, but he still had to make a new sail and find a sufficient board. Morph, who'd managed to catch a ride in his pocket without him knowing, had brought him several candidates, but Jim was resolved to find the perfect plank himself. Jim missed flying. He missed space so much it hurt to look at the stars at night and not be able to touch them, but he had to admit he found the sea, with its unpredictable moods and unknown depths, intriguing. In fact, it was the sea's parallels to space that kept him from going insane.

Morph cooed sympathetically as Jim looked out the window to the sky for the fifteenth time since he had begun work on his solar surfer; fifteen minutes ago.

"I know, I know," Jim muttered, leaning to his right to make a small notch in the wall with a wrench. He counted the marks in the wall, though he already knew how many there were. "It's only been three days, after all," he admitted, turning back to the faulty release lever on his lap.

"What's only been three days?" Asked a voice from behind him. Jim blanched. "Knock knock," said a tall dark haired man from the doorway.

"Your Majesty," Jim smiled over his shoulder, slowly sliding his work under a nearby sail and picking up his mending kit. The prince pushed off the threshold and approached, tipping his head to the side inquiringly. The spacer remembered his guest's question. "Oh, I arrived here three days ago."

"Homesick, huh?" His companion asked, kneeling to sit by Jim on the hardwood floor. Jim looked hard at the fabric in his hands.

"Yes sir." The prince laughed.

"Sir is the captain. My name is Eric."

"Sorry Eric," Jim acquiesced, giving the prince a wry smile. "Habit." He began work on the sail, hoping the prince would get bored and go away.

Eric just nodded. "What are you working on?" Jim paled again and hoped the tanned prince didn't notice.

"Ummm, a private project," he allowed.

"Ah." Eric nodded, but Jim could see that the prince was barely containing his curiosity. Finally; "What kind of project?"

Jim shrugged. "Private."

Eric scoffed and nudged Jim's shoulder. "Right." Pause. "Actually, I wasn't here to ask you about your extra-curricular activities. My cousin says she's seen you around the palace docks, and apparently has grown a fondness for sailing. She wants to meet you."

Jim couldn't hold back a sigh. Just what he wanted to do with his little free time: escort a spoiled brat around the docks. Yes, he'd heard of this _cousin_ during his limited studies. Sable. And he was in no hurry to meet her, if the rumors were true. But what could he do? He didn't know this country's customs, so he wasn't sure how far he could push this prince before it was considered treason. So instead of saying he had better things to do like he desperately wanted to, he put his work carefully aside and asked, "Shall we go?"

Ariel eagerly explored the crash site. Since she'd forgotten her last load of treasure earlier that day, she'd convinced Flounder to come with her for a second try.

"Why can't we just pick up what you got last time at Scuttle's rock thing?" Flounder moaned as they saw the ship's decaying silhouette in the distance. It was dangerously close to the shore; anyone on the cliff above could see it through the crystal clear water.

"We will," Ariel explained, "After we make this swim."

Now, with Flounder watching nervously out the cabin's huge window, the mermaid scoured the treasure chests for new collectables. She'd found a marvelous three-pronged contraption already, but she felt there had to be something else…

It took the two men about an hour to find the royal cousin. This was because Sable had, in fact, taken it upon herself to prepare a picnic on a cliff about 200 yards from the castle walls… and the picnic was for two.

Jim watched Eric leave with growing dread. He did not like the way that this girl was looking at him, and he wasn't going to pretend he didn't know why. Jim was raised a modest boy, but the fact of the matter was that he was too attractive and, quite possibly, too nice for his own good. So Jim knew from experience that Sable wasn't looking hungrily at her sandwich.

"So, ummm…" Jim stammered, pulling his knees to his chest. "Nice spread we've got here. Did you make any of it?"

Sable smiled primly at him and arched an eyebrow. "Of course not. You are a bit slow, aren't you? That's to be expected, but still… top of your class, I thought that would mean something."

Jim's thick eyebrows lowered a fraction in disdain, but thought it best to go along with her analysis of him. She'd drop her guard, and maybe then he could find a way to escape.

"Well," he began slowly, "I was not trained in the finer arts like you, Majesty." Sable twirled her brown curls slowly through her fingers and batted her long lashes.

"Well," she mimicked, "at least they trained you to have manners." She moved one leg closer to his, exposing her skin. Jim wasn't sure, but he was pretty positive that that was not acceptable behavior. He moved his feet away. Sable sighed.

"A good boy, huh?" She grumbled, pulling back her leg and turning to the scenery. "How troublesome." Jim nodded eagerly, kneeling to get up.

"Very," he agreed. "I'm sure you could find some other guy more willing—"

"Troublesome, but interesting," Sable amended, turning back to him.

She pointed at the cloth. "Sit down." Jim sat, reluctantly.

"These things don't usually take this long, you know," she informed him. "I'm willing to wait."

Jim dropped the charade. "Well, as you said, I'm too stupid to take a hint." He fished in his jacket pocket a second and pulled out an old pipe, clearly an antique.

"You smoke?" Sable stared. Jim smiled, enjoying her discomfort.

"If you don't like it, yes." He told her, taking a lighter from his other pocket and lighting the pipe. Sable fumed almost as much as the pipe.

"I do not like it." She growled. She did not like the way this boy talked to her. She did not like that he would not go along with her desires. And she _definitely_ did not like the sinking feeling that he was more intelligent than she was. Her eyebrows furrowed more in a rage. "I do not like it at _all!_" And with surprising speed, she grabbed the pipe and hurled it over the cliff and into the sea. Jim watched in horror as the last piece of his father he had was lost forever.

"Wha—what was that?" Flounder quailed as Ariel further explored the cabin. Her friend's terrified inquiry and the eerie quiet could not reach her. She saw it. On a broken wooden pedestal was an antique pipe with the initials LH emblazoned on the bell. It was beautiful. Ariel hesitated, then picked up the foreign object. Had it been there a moment before?

"I wonder what this one is." She mused. Flounder was growing more insistent.

"Ariel…"

"Will you relax?" Ariel asked, exasperated. "Nothing is going to happen—" Seconds later, she was swimming for her life.

"Don't you EVER consider others' feelings?!" Jim seethed, kicking savagely into the dirt. "EVER considered that people's lives are not only _harder_ than yours, but _sadder_, too? Or are you as stupid and spoiled as you pretend to be, recklessly showing off your body?" He kicked a stone that rolled off the cliff and into the water below. He watched as the ripples got wider and disappeared, drawing his attention to the ship wreck clearly visible below the surface, and the shark chasing a green streak, probably a fish, around it. He observed the shark's ravenous hunt, and murmured,

"It seems to me, all women are the same. Like the shark, they are always on the hunt… preferably for the young and weak." Jim stopped abusing the earth and crouched next to Sable, so close his cold blue eyes nearly made her eyes go glassy with fear and mortification. "Well, let me tell you something, Highness. I am not weak, and I will never fall in love if all there is in the world are women like you. Consider yourself rejected." Then, without being dismissed, Jim Hawkins strode down the hill and away.

Ariel gasped as Flounder hit his head on the mast and plummeted to the sea floor. He had to get cocky, she groaned inwardly, then darted after her friend. As she descended, she knew there was no hope. Even if she did get there in time to catch her friend, then the shark would just eat them both. Suddenly, a fist-sized stone hit and snapped the old rope that was holding the anchor to the side of the ship. The anchor eagerly rolled down into the shark's path. It was a simple matter for the mermaid to grab her fish friend through the hole in the top of the anchor, luring the carnivore through it. The shark's speed lodged it comically in the iron. Picking up her nearly forgotten bag, Ariel smiled brightly at the beast.

"You big bully!" Flounder accused inches from the shark's snout. His cowardice won out in the end, for he darted away at a mere snap of its jaws. Ariel giggled.

"Flounder, you really are a guppy." She accused, but she was shaking too. Her friend had almost been killed. If it hadn't been for luck… or was it fate?... he would have been. Ariel dismissed the thought. No point of reading into it, it was a rock, big deal. No, these treasures she held in her hand where much more important. Forcing another giggle at Flounder's meager attempts to write off his fear, she turned south toward Scuttle's island.

Baffled, Sable watched her prey walk away without a scratch on him. Somehow that little deer had mauled her heart. She sat in silence for a few minutes, trying to figure out how to move without shaking and wondering why her heart was shaking, too. Finally, she was able to take a whistle from her hidden pocket and blow into it. Almost instantly there were two attendants helping her up, another two picking up the picnic they had laid out only twenty minutes ago. Sable pulled away from the commoners who turned away quickly, smiling amusedly into their hands. Sable thought about her predicament. She could not let this slide. Her reputation as an irresistible huntress would be shot. No, this just wasn't possible. There was no way that _boy_ just rejected her. A good seductress is versatile, she remembered. If I can't make him what I want, I'll become what he wants. Now I just have to get close enough to the whelp to learn what that is. Sable smiled a cynical smile. Cake.

Eric was waiting outside Jim's dorm room when a fuming Jim returned. The prince looked a bit anxious. He must have known what his cousin was planning, and he hadn't warned him, Jim realized. All the restraint he had shown toward the prince evaporated.

"You knew." He growled, stalking up to the man and staring up into his eyes. "You b—, augh, you knew that Sable was going to try something low, and you didn't tell me, and now—"

Eric wasn't up to speed with Jim; he was still gaping at a realization of his own.

"You're back. You were only gone about a half hour! Most are gone at least three times as long… so you didn't…" Then he saw the scowl of pure distaste on the younger boy's face. "Jim, what happened?"

"I did what was right." Jim growled at Eric, bypassing him to unlock the door and open it. "If you hear any reports regarding me negatively, they are false." With that, Jim entered and slammed the door in the stately prince's face.

Later that night, Jim lay sprawled on his shallow bunk, looking longingly out his window to the stars. "I don't know Morph," Jim sighed, caressing his cooing pet with the back of his hand, his other hand tucked under his head. "I'm not sure if learning here is worth it anymore." He rolled over and blew out the primitive candle on his nightstand. "Too much drama."

(Author's note: I'm leaving out a big chunk of The Little Mermaid plot here because everyone knows it already. In short, Ariel and Scuttle at the rock, the concert she missed, and her father's punishment, because changing them wouldn't further this fic, and it would be boring to read the movie. If you don't know what's going on, rent the movie.)

Ariel rolled over in bed, dreading the next morning. She had managed to sneak into her and her sisters' room and was falsely asleep when her sisters came back from the failed concert. She felt the sharp jabs of their stares bearing into her back, and some actual jabs as well. But, as she'd hoped, no one woke her and sent her to her father. Now she had the whole night to think up some excuse.

By morning, the only thing she had come up with was that she had realized she was sick while doing her chores, and was too weary to bother telling anyone. She gave this explanation to her sisters, who only tolerated the reason because they had no proof otherwise, though this did not prevent the jabs to her side. She would have a bruise there by lunchtime she was sure. Not that she would be able to eat, if she wanted to keep up this charade. Ariel actually groaned. Was this lie worth it? She had no answer. Fortunately, her father was apparently, according to Adella, was still apologizing to the honored merguests for the concert's failure and would not be free until that afternoon. She had until that time to recover. At around one in the afternoon, Flounder came by, the snarfblat tucked under one fin. Ariel looked at him quizzically.

"What is it Flounder?"

"Well, I went to see you at the grotto earlier, but you weren't there, so I went by the opera house, but Sebastian just yelled something weird at me, so I thought it best not to ask him where you were, then I went by the kelp shop, but--"

"How did you--"

"Then I bumped into Aquata, you know, your sister--"

"I know my own sisters." Ariel said impatiently, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yeah, well, she said quote 'She's like sick'," Flounder explained, doing air quotes as best as he could underwater. "So I came here."

"Yeah," Ariel prompted, "But why did you come here?" She eyed the snarfblat meaningfully.

"Oh yeah!" Flounder remembered. He tossed it to her. "I think I fixed it. There was some kind of rubber in the tube. It's like whoever owned it before didn't want it to work."

"Huh," Ariel speculated, exploring the bell of the object with her fingers. A black mist coated them. She brought her fingers to her nose and smelt what was collected there. "It has a very homely scent." She blew into the instrument. Nothing. Just a faint whistling. Flounder tilted his head at the snarfblat.

"Perhaps the humans' music is much more mild than ours?"

Ariel shrugged, then smiled a small, enchanted smile at the thing cradled in her hands. "I don't care, really." She told her friend. "It's still beautiful and holds a meaning I cannot understand..." Her smile became a determined grin. "Yet."

At that moment, Adonna called through the door, "Ariel, Dad wants you NOW!" Ariel started at the sudden voice, tucking the snarfblat under her pillow. She got out of bed and straightened herself, then sighed.

"Well, here goes nothing."

"Rise and shine, princess!" A gruff voice boomed in Jim's ear. The trainee groaned and pulled his pillow over his head. Then he remembered the events of the day before and he was fully awake before his mattress upended and he was sprawled across the floor. "This ain't no day camp, boyo!" Captain Harris shouted. "Especially not today." Jim fought a scowl as he looked up at his superior inquiringly.

"You don't remember?" The captain growled, picking Jim up and giving him a push toward his closet. Jim remained silent. "The prince's birthday party, you sluggard!" The captain chuckled. "Hard night, boy?" Jim turned sharply around and could not keep his brows from furrowing menacingly in surprise. Did rumors spread that quickly? And how bad did Sable make him look? Harris waved his arms in front of him in surrender, still smiling.

"Just kiddin', boyo. Though even a smart young lad like yerself deserves a night on the town once and a while." Jim turned away again, his arms sagging in relief. He allowed a brief chuckle of his own.

"I'll keep that in mind."

The rest of the day was filled with cleaning of decks, special arrangements made for the special guests, and primitive background checks of the caterers, musicians, and the crew. Even the sailors Jim knew personally and could vouch for were checked for connections with pirates and political enemies of the prince. The captain's paranoia was getting seriously out of hand.

The preparations kept Jim comfortably busy, however, so he didn't fuss when Captain Harris sent him for a certain kind of pillow for the prince's dog, or when the cook demanded fresh clams for his chowder, and Jim had to go to the shallow pools himself to collect some. As long as his dirty jobs kept Sable at a safe distance, he could not complain. The prince did as much as Harris would allow, which included such jobs as helping Jim coil the excess rope. Eric sat heavily down next to his inferior, looking gloomily at the rope Jim promptly handed him. The pout on the prince's chiseled face looked so ridiculous that Jim smiled and said,

"You know, you are the prince. You don't have to do this grudge work if you don't want to." Eric looked up at Jim hopefully, then back at the rough rope in his hands.

"It's not that the work is too hard or gross," Eric explained, "it's just... boring. I can do what the sailors are doing... I have before! Do I really look so delicate that I have to be handled at arm's length?" Jim curled the rope into a neat pile before looking back up and said,

"No. But what do you want, for him to just give you the first mate position just because?" Jim's cynical sideways grin caused Eric to frown.

"Of course not. I just want him to realize that I am capable of bigger things."

"I'm sure he will." Jim shrugged, "if you can prove to him that you can do simple things like... folding rope." He wagged the some rope in the prince's face, reminding Eric of the rope in his hands. He coiled it as he thought aloud. "Sometimes I wonder why government isn't more like sailing. You're usually born into it, yes, but you are not set in your future until you prove yourself. You are forced to trust and others trust you."

"Ummm, Eric," Jim tried to interject, but Eric raised a hand to stop him, his chiseled face raised to the sky in revelation.

"Give me a minute, Jim, I'm in the middle of an epiphany here. They trust you because their lives may depend on you some day. There is no mutiny and greed among honest sailors." (He missed Jim rolling his eyes here.) " They are the tightest of families, with the captain as their chief protector."

"You really believe that." Jim said as he lowered his head-- he'd been staring at the sky too.

Eric nodded, "With everything in me. I wish more than anything I could work here, away from politics and enemies, but I must be the 'chief protector' of my people. If only the world was like sailing, and the rulers were actually prepared to rule." The prince slapped his knees and sighed. "So, what were you trying to tell me, Jim?" Jim knelt to tie off the last of the rope coils. Eric had barely done anything, he was so enthralled in his monologue. Jim smiled smugly up at him.

"Looks like the simple things have you owned." He informed the prince. "From now on, try to keep up."

Ariel was banished to her rooms until she could realize the severity of her offense. But she left, of course, for her secret grotto. Her father was too angry with her to check on her, and her sisters had given up trying to figure out where their youngest sister kept disappearing to. All of their attempts to follow her or send out private eyes failed; she was too conscious of her surroundings since she'd had to sneak out every night to go to that jazz club a few years back [Ariel's Beginning]. Ariel was just as bored in her sanctuary this night, however, than she would have been in the palace. She felt as though she was forgetting something important. That just reminded her of the ruined concert, which brought her father's angry, disapproving face into her thoughts, which brought on the guilt.

"If only I could make him understand. I just don't see things the way he does." Ariel protested, stroking the dinglehopper. "I don't see how a world that makes such wonderful things could be bad!" She wanted to be part of the world up there so bad... she knew all the secrets of the ocean; she'd seen the ruins of Atlantis, she'd met the Loch Ness Monster; her own father had negotiated a peace treaty with the Kraken. The only thing that she didn't know about was _that_ world. All she knew was that she was not content with a life in the sea. She reached out of the top of her grotto to the mysteries above. And if she did not belong in the ocean, she _must_ belong up there...

Then, Sebastian appeared out of nowhere.

"_Sebastian?_" How had he found her? No one had ever found her hideaway before! Maybe her father had noticed her absence and sent Sebastian after her! Whichever way she thought about it, Sebastian knowing her secret was _not_ a good thing.

"If your fadda knew abow dis place he'd--" The crab was saying.

"You're not gonna tell him, are you?" Flounder panicked, getting in the crustacean's face.

"Ah, come on, Sebastian, he'd _never_ understand!" Ariel pleaded. She could not let her father take her collection away from her too. Sebastian considered it. Ariel was a nice girl, and she'd been a good friend, but to be going behind the king's back... and for quite a while, judging by the size of the princess's "collection"... he was at a loss. One thing he knew for sure, she needed to be taken away from there so he could talk some sense into her.

"Ariel," He soothed, "you ah under a lotta presha down hea, Come with me, I'll take you home--" He took her hand and desperately made for the door, "--and get you something warm to--" Then, the grotto was overshadowed by something big on the surface.

"What do you suppose--?" Ariel wondered. Then she remembered. The ship!


	2. Crash and Burn

Of course, his luck could only last so long. Apparently Duchess Sable had pulled some strings and convinced the paranoid Captain Harris that Jim would be just as safe from fraternizing if he were escorting _her_ than if he were shadowing the captain. Captain Harris agreed. Jim would escort the duchess and learn the "gentlemanly side to sailing" after helping to set the course and doing his duties as first mate. Jim groaned as the captain relayed his official orders.

He couldn't understand why the captain would go along with this obvious plot. Why couldn't he be his usual jumpy self when it counted?

Jim felt the heat build in his cheeks, and he took a deep breath, counting to ten. He was going to need those three months of anger management right now.

"Sir," he croaked, grunted, then began again. "Sir, can I ask you something, as a fellow sailor, not as your inferior?" Captain Harris nodded, his relaxed stance and folded hands signaling Jim to continue. "I don't know if it's come to your attention, Mr. Harris, but the duchess has insulted me in a manner I cannot soon forgive, and yet she still insists on... well... stalking me. I feel that if you send me to her I will be put in situations that will reflect badly on me and our trade."

Harris released one hand to stroke his grey beard.

"Good argument, Mr. Hawkins. Using pity and danger to our pride to work toward your ends."

Jim grinned sheepishly, though he mentally cursed himself for underestimating the captain. "Am I that transparent?"

The captain returned the grin. "Just to me, boyo." He turned away to look out the window of the captain's cabin and over the sea. "About your request, I cannot acquiesce."

Jim's jaw dropped in surprise. Nevermind anything nice he had just thought about this stupid, dense...

"I wasn't born yesterday, Jim. When Duchess Sable came into my office and asked my permission for you to be her escort, I knew what she was up to. But I also know you, Jim."

Jim's creased brow softened at the sound of his name. This was the first time the captain had called him by his first name.

"Do I have permission to talk to you man-to-man, Jim?"

Jim could only nod.

"Jim, you are a special boy-- man. You are the _first_ man that the duchess has ever chased with such ferocity, but that is not why I am allowing this. I am human, too. I have my downfalls, and I regret to say I have not been as alert in the past as I am now."

Jim held in a chuckle, but Harris saw him smile, a wry grin on his face as well.

"Go ahead and laugh, boyo. I know that everyone who knows me and the way I run my ships thinks I'm a bit... eccentric, but this is one of the reasons why." Jim sobered, and the older man continued. "When Sable came here two years ago she was a very grown up fourteen. Naturally, my uneducated sailors all swooned over her like old women in the summer. The worst of them was Tony Higgins, a cabin boy about your age. He could have been a great sailor, so much promise." Harris paused a second, and Jim realized he was trying not to cry. "Their courtship surprised us all, but it only lasted three days. Tony was distraught. He did everything he could to get her back, but in the end, it only angered her. She told him what she thought of him, and--and--" Harris's voice cracked, but he looked Jim straight in the face as he said, "The next morning, he was floating face down off the starboard side."

Jim's eyes widened in horror as the grieving captain continued. "Since Tony's death, I've asked the Prince to prohibit Sable from entering the docks or going anywhere _near_ my sailors. In exchange, I would not spread the real reason for Tony's suicide. But since she's been a fixture on the ships since you arrived here--" Harris shrugged to disguise his shaking. "I guess our contract is null and void."

"What does anything about Tony have to do with me?" Jim asked quietly.

Captain Harris wiped his eyes and sniffed hard. "I--I want revenge, Jim. Tony was one of my _boys_. Mah mates. I know of Sable's current 'undefeated' record, and I want _you_ to set the record straight. Will you avenge me, Jim?" Jim looked at the captain warily, his back tensing and hands balling up into fists.

"I'll do as you order, Captain." Harris sighed, then chuckled.

"Smart lad. I won't order such a thing, and you know that. But are you wise?"

Jim frowned, not quite understanding. That wasn't a threat, was it?

"My orders you asked about stand, Hawkins." Captain Harris reiterated. "But I'm glad we had this talk. You are dismissed." Jim made it to the door, then paused. He didn't turn as he mumbled, "I am too."

Ariel broke the surface once again, and was instantly entranced by the explosions of light in the sky. It was like the reef was aglow in the night sky. She wondered if the shiny remnants that fell from this brilliant display had landed on the ocean floor and made a mental note to check for them after this newest adventure. Sebastian was impressed as well.

"Jumping jellyfish!" He exclaimed, as more columns of light burst in the sky. Ariel giggled at the prospect that even her crab of a guardian couldn't refuse the human's never-ending wonder. She thought too soon. Sebastian was almost immediately himself again as he noticed his ward's longing gaze at the human vessel.

"Bahd idea, Ariyal!" He insisted. "If we git sin, yo fadda will neva--"

"We?" Ariel arched an eyebrow. "Who said you were coming?" Before Sebastian could protest, the princess was so far away she couldn't hear him.

The mermaid heard the music first, then the laughter, as she warily approached. Even though humans were her greatest love, being raised to fear them still took its toll. She almost turned back about a million times, but their music was infectious, and their laughter floating down on her didn't sound evil. It strengthened her resolve more than any spell. Climbing up the side of the boat was an effort (though her upper body strength was stronger than that of a normal human girl, the scales of her tail were a bit heavier out of water), but she managed to find an opening by a ledge that she could sit on so she did not have to support herself solely on her arms. From her front row seat, she watched humans for the first time, her heart in her throat. Her body jittered with nerves and exhilaration, so much that she wanted to dance to the strange music with the men on deck. Their music was not mild at all, she noticed. It was a bit primitive, granted, but it was lively and bright; it filled everything with light from the inside out, including the mermaid sitting on a stair just over the railing.

Her tail bobbing to the beat, Ariel had no qualms with scouring every visible part of the ship; the sailors dancing on crates, the sailors playing alien instruments-- she would have to ask Scuttle about those later-- the food, the nets, the masts, the shrouds, the boy in the corner... Ariel paused, then turned her gaze back to that corner, the only corner that was not reached by light.

It was the boy! The boy from the beach a few days ago! Small world, Ariel mused, squinting to make out his features. He was staring into a tankard of something, his scowl covering his eyes and his long bangs concealing his cheekbones. And-- was that-- an _earring_? Did human males wear_ earrings_? Queer, Ariel shook her head amusedly, but her eyes never left the curious boy. He looked so sad, like an abandoned guppy. She didn't know how much she was leaning forward until a huge, furry creature was in her face.

Jim was bored out of his mind. Though escorting Sable wasn't as bad as he thought it would be, she constantly clung to him and had a personality change every five minutes-- flirty then allusive, hyper then mellow, nice then mean, innocent then creepy... ugh. Thankfully, she couldn't do much to him with all the people around. They avoided the two, but they were still witnesses. He had a nagging feeling that he had already been claimed as hers, but he knew he wasn't. Since he was leaving soon being a social outcast didn't bother him much-- except that he had to be an outcast with _her_. At least there was no false modesty between them. He was free to make her feel as uncomfortable as he pleased, and she couldn't really do anything about it unless she left him. Jim chuckled wryly. Why would he be so cruel otherwise?

After a private supper with the prince and the captain at seven, Jim was given a welcome break from his captor when she went to go change for the celebration, though he was ordered to sit outside the door until she was ready. It was Eric that brought him the tankard of ale.

"Here," he gestured, the slight movement making the liquid slosh over the sides. "You'll probably need this." Jim shook his head.

"My father was a drunk. I'll never touch that stuff."

"Your dad smoked, too."

Jim rolled his eyes, but took the container. "I won't drink any of it." He said to the prince's grin.

"I'll just hold it like I did." He sported a grin of his own. "Sable hates men who drink."

Eric's grin faded, and he sighed. "Be careful who you wage war on, Jim."

"I wouldn't call it a _war_," Jim protested, waving the large mug in the air in a convincingly drunken manner. "It's more of a--" He showed a few more molars in a way that made Eric shudder "--social disagreement." Eric rolled his eyes but didn't protest further. His cousin needed to be taught a lesson or two, even if it was by this confusing first mate. He slapped his knee and rose.

"Well, enjoy yourself--" The prince stopped and winced. "Should I really tell you that?"

Jim shrugged, staring into the frothing mug. "You can tell me that all you want, but I'm not going to."

Eric nodded uncomfortably, almost relieved to be distracted by the ruckus his dog, Max, was causing. Jim was a nice enough boy, but he was a bit too intense for Eric.

Then he realized what Max was doing so close to the bulwark. He was peeking out an opening big enough for him to wriggle through!

"Max! Max, here boy!" Eric called, trying to keep the worry out of his voice.

Jim jerked his head from the mug to Eric, following the prince's line of vision to the dog that was leaning out of one of the flood holes. Jim was about to write it off as a dog just being a dog when he noticed it was... looking at something. Jim squinted and just caught the gaze of two wide eyes in the darkness beyond. They disappeared almost instantly, but there was no mistaking it. As Max ran excitedly to his owner Jim was sliding to a stop against the bulwark, looking deep into the indigo abyss below. Nothing. How could that be? He was sure--

"Oh James!" Came a sing-song voice from behind him. Jim groaned, gripping the wood till his knuckles went white. "What are you doing over _there_ and not _here_, where I left you?"

"The lad can _walk_, miss," Captain Harris began, but Jim cut him off with a wave of his hand, turning to face the bane of his existence on this torturous planet.

"Sorry Sable," he excused himself. "I was feeling a bit sick, is all."

She raised an eyebrow at him, and he realized what she was wearing. Her dark crimson dress was bejeweled to the point of being blinding due to the glare, and the dress clung to every curve. Jim avoided looking at her bodice altogether.

"I-I'm serious." He insisted, taking a step back. "M-maybe I should go down to the galley to rest for a while." Now both of Sable's groomed eyebrows plummeted in a frown.

"Right when the party's about to start? I don't think so."

"I agree with the duchess." Captain Harris said, folding his arms over his chest to look more menacing. Jim's draw dropped in indignation and disbelief. Really? He knew that the captain was looking for revenge that he thought only Jim could give, but was he _really _going to force him to spend the whole night with this slutty--

"Mr. Masterson has realized that he can't hold his liquor, so I need you in the nest to keep watch, Mr. Hawkins." Jim couldn't hold back his desperate relief.

"_Really_?" This was a surprise.

"No, _not_ really!" Sable growled, getting menacingly close to the towering captain. It was almost comical, he practically dwarfed her, his crossed arms keeping her at bay.

"He's _my_ escort!" Sable said. "_Mine_. Or would you rather I choose another of your sailors while Jim is in the-- the-- high thingy?"

Captain Harris's eyes widened with fear. This was what he had been afraid of.

Jim read the distress on the captain's face and slowly interpreted what was going on.

"Jim's one of my _boys._" Harris said hesitantly. "Mah mates."

Captain Harris was trying to protect him. The captain genuinely did not want Jim put in a situation where the temptation might be too much.

Jim knew _temptation_ wasn't the problem. He would be extremely uncomfortable, yes, but he felt absolutely no attraction toward this woman. There was no need for the captain to suffer.

"Sir, I can--"

"No, Jim." Harris said, putting out a hand to stop his student's advance. His eyes had hardened and did not leave Sable's face, who was looking surprised at the captain's use of Jim's first name. "This is _my_ ship, and you are _my_ pupil. She will remember the breached contract and obey my orders while aboard my vessel." Sable's brown orbs were brimming with horror now. She stumbled away from the man she saw now was her superior. This angered her, but what could she do?

"Fine." She hissed, beckoning for her servant, who put a fur shawl over her mistress's shoulders. "But Jim will have to make up this time on another date."

"Agreed, if I approve of your attire." The captain replied calmly. With an irritated huff, Sable stomped off to find her cousin.

"Thank you so much, captain!" Jim gushed. "That would have been so--"

"I was serious about the crow's nest, Jim." Captain Harris interrupted with a chuckle. "Masterson is in the infirmary, and I need someone to keep watch." Captain Harris raised his face into the sea wind and breathed in deeply. "A storm's coming. I can smell it."

Ariel clung to the hull of the ship by its barnacles, heaving in salt water to calm herself and steady her heart. That hairy creature-- a dog, she recalled from her research-- was harmless, but the boy from the beach was too observant for his own good. He was dangerous. Maybe her father was right about something after all. But, as had been the case so many times before, her curiosity got the best of her and she slowly and cautiously swam to the surface again. Seeing that the nosy human was no longer watching for her, she climbed back up to her hiding place.

Luckily, the humans had overlooked the dog incident and were back to their fascinating dance rituals. As Ariel was watching the dark haired human with rapture, a certain seagull spotted his friend from the sky while on his regular rounds (he had this theory that aliens were going to invade, silly bird).

"Hey, there, sweety!" He cawed in pleasure. "Quite a show, eh?"

Ariel froze, afraid that she was discovered yet again, then recognized the voice and rolled her eyes. She loved her learned winged friend, but he knew very little when it came to stealth.

"Quiet, Scuttle! They'll hear you!" She scolded in a whisper. She tried to wave him off.

If he was there, she'd have to babysit him and would not be able to study the humans.

"Oh, I gotcha, I gotcha," He whispered back, dropping down beside her. "We're being intrepidatious! WE'RE OUT TO DISCOVER--!"

See? He has no perception of _when _to be quiet, Ariel sighed. She grabbed Scuttle's beak and pulled him back where no one would see him. She was surprised no one had _heard _him. Then again, the human music was pretty loud. A light, tinkly sound caught her ear, distracting her from her seagull friend. It was the dark man with his--oh yeah, _dog_, playing another instrument.

"I've never seen a human this _close _before." She explained. (This is true. When Jim made it to the side of the boat, Ariel was already underwater from the ruckus that was made over the dog. She saw Jim looking for her from below the water's surface, which was a good twenty yards away.)

"Oh," She laid her head on her arms and gazed at him contentedly. "He's very handsome, isn't he?" Scuttle looked at her, following her line of vision.

"I dunno," he said, "He looks kind of hairy and slobbery to me."

"Hee, not that one!" Ariel chuckled dreamily, "The one playing the snarfblat."

As Ariel went on watching the celebration-- or rather, the dark-haired human, Scuttle shrugged and rolled _his _eyes. He hadn't been talking about the dog. He was human expert, for Pete's sake! He knew humans and their behaviors, and he could tell with one look that-- though he may have a good heart-- that hippie human was a few shots short of a pint.

Jim watched the celebration from the crow's nest, having the best time he'd had the whole night. Though he'd hated the nest in space-- it was the place farthest away from the action-- it was the closest place to space there was on Earth. It was a sanctuary from the drama of this hectic world.

He couldn't hear what was being said on the deck, but he was still at a distance where he could read the crew's body language. Grimsby was speaking.. at least Jim assumed so, he only flaunted like that when he spoke. The crew leaned forward with anticipation at something the "Grim Reaper", as the crew called him, said. Jim focused his gaze on Eric. Though the youth could only see the prince's back, he looked far less impressed. Sable was standing back and to the prince's left, just bored. After a few more flourishes and a half-hearted slap on the back from Eric, Grim unveiled Eric's extremely heavy birthday present (and Jim knew. He'd had to carry it aboard, with the help of a mule and some well-placed logs).

It was a huge, stone sculpture of the prince. Jim rolled his eyes. If he knew anything, it was that the prince was not an egotist. He could care less if the thing sank to the bottom of the ocean, Jim could tell from the way Eric was leaning away from the "present", his legs set apart in defense.

And then the Grim Reaper started on marriage again, because Eric immediately turned his back to his advisor and pretended to be otherwise occupied with a telescope.

Speaking of telescopes-- Jim looked back to the skies as a roll of thunder shook the air, lightning right on top on it. The captain had been right. Jim turned in the direction of the thunder and watched the clouds broil. Jim bit back a swear. This was bad.

"Hurricane a'comin'!" Jim yelled, his voice cracking in horror as the water suddenly reared against them. "Stand fast! Secure the rigging!" He added, feeling his training kick in. He jumped fluidly from the nest, screaming orders as he went. He was unable to reach a post himself before Sable had attached herself to him, shaking in fear.

"What the h*** is happening?" She yelled into his shirt. She clung tighter as another wave threatened to topple them. "There wasn't any hint of a storm earlier!"

"I don't know!" Jim yelled over the din of thunder and crashing waves. "But the captain needs every spare hand he can, so I can't stay here!"

"WHAT?!" Sable screeched. "You are MY escort! And especially at this time--"

"I am the CAPTAIN'S apprentice!" Jim yelled back. He tied a snapped rope once around Sable and once around the main mast. "There!" He said. "You'll be safe here until I come and get you!" and he ran off to find the captain.

How did he find out? Ariel thought in a panic as she clung to one of the shrouds, but to no avail. The wind was so strong it tore her off of the ship and threw her into the water. Scuttle was swept into the clouds, calling for her all the while. The whole storm seemed to be attacking the ship. Ariel was horrified. It was obviously her father's doing, but why? If it was because she was there like she had originally assumed, one of her father's royal guards would have been there to get her. She flailed her arms helplessly, trying to balance herself above the water's surface. Then Ariel remembered what she had thought when she first heard of the ship's scheduled route.

"They usually try to stay away from the coast," she repeated in a weighted whisper. Her voice got louder and louder as she realized the full extent of the situation. "Don't come near Atlantica-- probably Daddy's doing..." Ariel remembered all the ship wrecks so near Atlantica's borders. It was like a defense mechanism, and the hapless humans had sailed right into it. Ariel had never seen a storm of such ferocity. The humans must have not come by here for decades, so there had been no need--

An angry arrow of lightning cut the sky and hit one of the sails. The cloth burst into flame. This storm wasn't a warning; it was shoot to kill.

"Everyone is going to die!" Ariel whispered in realization. Remembering Eric's handsome face, she set her lips to a grim line. No. Not this time. Not if she could help it.

The lightning threw the people aboard the ship into a frenzy. Jim watched the main sail burn with growing anxiety. The captain was directing the guests to the longboats while the crew tried in vain to save the ship. He wanted to tell them not to bother, to get off before the fire caught the deck, but he knew from experience that in times of trouble you followed the captain's orders no matter what, to prevent confusion among the crew.

"Eric!" Grim yelled as the captain pushed him to the starboard side. Jim looked about the ship briefly, seeing the prince struggling with the wheel. Jim sprinted up the steps of the quarterdeck, dodging buckets and loose cargo all the way. He slammed into the prince, pushing him off the wheel and into a very unprincely heap on the ground.

"Eric!" Jim barked, handling the wheel with obvious expertise. "Get off the ship!" Eric looked as if he'd been gut punched.

"What? No," he gasped. "I want to help!"

"You can help by not being a burden to the crew!" Jim yelled impatiently. "They can't save the ship and babysit you! GET OFF THE SHIP!" The prince looked hurt, but he obeyed. Jim turned his full attention to steering, cursing under his breath.

They should never have stuck so close to shore. The rocks--

"Look out!" Eric yelled. He hadn't made it to the bottom of the steps before the ship crashed against the rocks, the force snapping the main mast and throwing the longboat into the water. The fire from the sails spread to the rest of the ship as the severed mast smashed through the spar deck to the gun deck below. Jim heard something explode. There was no saving anything now. Except maybe--

"Oh, crap." Jim groaned, remembered a certain someone that he had tied to the mast. He jumped the stairs and skirted the burning cannons to where the duchess lay huddled on the deck, clutching what was left of the main mast like a lifeline. Jim felt his heart drop with guilt. He should have at least left her some means of escape. She could've -- could've... Jim ripped the fraying rope from the splintered wood and picked up a quivering Sable as gently as he could manage.

"You know," he told her as he sprinted for the bulwark, "You could have just pulled the rope over the top of the mast's stump and we wouldn't be in this mess." She looked up at him piteously, and he gave her a wan smile.

"Harris!" He yelled to the longboat below. "Catch!" And he threw her into the captain's outstretched arms. He was about to jump out himself when Grim pushed to the front of the dingy, screeching "Mr. Hawkins, thank goodness! Eric! Eric's gone back to the ship! To retrieve his thrice cursed animal! Eric! Eric!!"

Jim cursed again. What was it with this royal family and putting themselves in mortal peril? Much more of this and they would make a real cursing sailor out of him. Prince or not, if they made it out of this, he and Eric were going to have a serious--

he saw the prince throw Max overboard (the very thing he'd tried to prevent earlier) and with a sigh, Jim went to join him. Suddenly, he heard a sharp crack behind him. The crack of burning gunpowder. They had gunpowder in the hold? Jim noticed where the mast penetrated the deck and instantly knew the result.

"Eric! Eric!" He yelled, panicked, skidding to a stop at the prince's side.

"Jim, thank God," Eric coughed. "The deck is deteriorating by the second. My leg fell through, help me pull it out!"

"Forget pulling!" Jim gasped, picking up an axe. With a slightly labored swing, the boards around Eric's legs fell away. Jim linked arms with Eric to keep him from falling through as well.

Eric patted Jim on the back appreciatively.

"On the count of three?" He suggested. He looked into the youth's face. Through the soot and blood, he saw fear there for the first time. His eyes, however, were serene as he simply said,

"Three," and tossed the prince overboard. When Eric hit the water, the boat exploded with a flurry of fireworks.

"NOOOO!" Ariel screamed as the ship lit up before her, fire consuming where her prince had just been. He can't be dead, she thought desperately as she dove through the waves, fighting the crazy currents. She broke the surface again when the fire had decayed to smolders from the saltwater. Waving her arms about for balance, she scoured the debris and found her prince just before he slipped unconsciously into the sea. Ariel immediately went after him. She wasn't sure, but from what she'd read she was pretty certain that humans couldn't swim in their sleep. It took a moment once she'd caught hold of him, but she was able to adjust to his weight and drag him to the surface. When she was once again in the open air the storm had already scattered itself, the sun piercing random holes in the overcast sky.

She drug the prince ashore, her aquatic friends washed up beside her. She paid them no mind. She was on the land with her prince beside her. If would be a dream come true, if... she shook him gently and called his name, trying to wake him up. She tried singing to him. This roused him a bit, but he still wouldn't open his eyes.

During her vain efforts, Scuttle had found her again and landed on a rock a couple feet above them.

"Whoa!" The seagull whooped, cocking his head to beat some water out of his ear. "That was some storm, huh, sweety? And I thought I molted enough on my own..." He noticed the prince that Ariel was anxiously hovering over. "Oh," he breathed. Even he knew what this meant. "Decided to take a souvenir, eh?"

"He's not breathing!" The mermaid told him desperately. "What do I do?"

"You leave 'im!" Sebastian insisted. "Hoomans are-- uh-- resilient crechas. I'm sure he'll be fine. But we need tah go, Ariyal." He tugged on her tail impatiently, but she waved him off.

"I'm not leaving him until I know he's safe. Scuttle. What do I have to do?" The seagull shuffled uncomfortably.

"Well," he stammered, "You're going to have to, uh-- breathe into his mouth."

Ariel blushed. Like, a kiss?"How...? Well, I... do I...?"

Scuttle, being the bumbling bird he is, did not know how to explain except by demonstrating, so he ended up doing it himself. Opening Eric's mouth rather awkwardly, Scuttle took a deep breath, opened his beak over the prince's mouth, and blew hard. Almost instantly, the human was doubled over, spitting up brine. (Scuttle was as far away from the prince as he could be in two hops, spitting disgustedly.) Ariel held the prince's shuddering form as he convulsed.

When he was finished he looked up at her in a daze, his eyes half closed. She smiled at her prince, smoothing the hair away from his face. He was so handsome.

"... Where's Jim..." he murmured before collapsing back on the sand.

Jim? Ariel wondered, a bit surprised that this would be the first thing he said. She thought hard about the people on the ship.

"Who is he?" She asked him finally. "Who is Jim?" He looked at her in surprise for a minute, his eyes beginning to realize where he was. Flounder heard barking in the distance.

"Ariel," He fidgeted uneasily in the water. "Someone's coming--" Ariel jerked her head in the direction of the barking. Now there were voices. She wanted to help him find this Jim person, but she could not risk being seen by any other humans. With a last reluctant glance at the prince's straining face, she scooted back into the tide and swam away.

As soon as she was at a safe distance, however, she clung to the side of a outcropping of rocks and watched as the tall, skinny man hugged Eric and helped him to his feet.

"How many-- made it?" Eric asked in gasps. The man shook his head.

"All of the guests made it," he informed him hesitantly. "But a couple crew members, including young Jim Hawkins, still haven't been recovered."

Eric stared in horror, then down at his feet. Ariel's heart wrenched as the prince tried to contain his sorrow. "He was only seventeen." He told the older man. "A troubled, mature seventeen, but he still had so much life to live. He-- saved me, Grim. And now I'll never be able to--" His face disappeared behind his hand for a moment as he composed himself. "There's no way he could have survived?" He asked after a minute. Grim hung his head in regret.

"Sire, it would take a miracle."

Ariel clenched her fist. A miracle? She could try her hand at miracles.

"Scuttle?" She asked, her voice low and determined. "Have you heard anything about this 'Jim Hawkins'?" Scuttle scratched below his beak thoughtfully.

"Yea, I think so, hon," He replied. "The captain's apprentice, word is. Came in from outta town, so he's pretty much a mystery. I have seen him once, though. Strange looking kid. He was kinda rugged, with baggy clothes. He had a pointed chin, overcast eyes... and a really weird hairdo. It was long until the back of his neck, where it was shaved an' had kind of a rat tail goin' on back there..."

"The boy on the beach." Ariel's eyes widened. "The one who almost discovered me... he saved my prince?" Sebastian, who'd been sulking just beneath the water, came up when he heard this. "What?" He demanded in a rage. "Dat boy almos' discovud you, and you're considerin' goin' tah save 'im?" Ariel twisted a strand of bight red hair through her fingers.

"Chances are he won't even-- be alive." She told her mentor hesitantly. "It can't hurt to look. And if I do find him, and if he is alive..." She bit her lip. "I'll dump him on the beach and leave."

Sebastian heaved in an exasperated sigh, but made no more protest.

"Where should we start?" Flounder asked, pushing himself under Ariel's free hand.

"At the crash site." Ariel groaned, allowing herself to fall into the sea. "Where else?"

"When I don't want to be noticed, he sees me, but when I need to find him, I can't!" Ariel complained a few hours later. She hit the choppy water with her fists in frustration. "Why does he have to be so difficult? Scuttle?" She turned her gaze to the air where the seagull was supposed to be keeping watch.

"No peeping hewmans, sweetheart, but I-- think I got something you'd better see." Ariel perked up, failing to hear the worry in her friend's voice.

"Is it a human artifact Scuttle?" She asked excitedly. Maybe some use would come out of this nerve-wracking situation.

"Uhh," he stammered, hovering over a cluster of rocks, "I guess you could say that." Although Ariel was the faster swimmer, Sebastian was closer. He crawled dexterously up the lichen-covered rock to see what Scuttle had found.

"What ah you blath--oooh..."

"What is it?" Ariel and Flounder asked in unison.

"Bloomin' shame ittis, bloomin' shame." Scuttle cooed, settling on the rock's peak. Sebastian looked down at Ariel with regret.

"Is the hooman, princess."

Ariel felt her heart squeeze. "What about him?" She ventured. "Is he... dead?"

"No, Ariyal." The crab winced. "But he nids attenshun immediately."

Even though she'd promised to beach him and leave, Ariel insisted on examining him herself. Though Jim had been wedged between the rocks, he was positioned so that one could push, more than lift, him into the water. With a final labored shove from Scuttle, the human slid rather bumpily down the rock face. Ariel had to half-catch him to pad his fall. As she eased him into the ocean beside her he stirred, wincing as salt water flooded his wounds. She felt her heart pull forward in her chest. She put a cool hand to his cheek to still him, but muttered "Oh, don't be a baby," under her breath to make herself feel better. She didn't understand how she could be so bitter toward this human, yet so in awe at the same time. Realizing the heat beneath her hand, she moved her hand to his forehead.

"He's feverish." She told Flounder worriedly. "This isn't good." Finally they were on the beach again, though this time they were a good stretch away from the palace. The overhanging cliffs provided shade and shelter from prying eyes. Here, Ariel took a good look at her patient for the first time.

He was a wreck, comparable to the ship. His face and chest were a mangled mess of burns and cuts from where the debris hit him. His calves were broken from the force of the blast beneath his feet. His feet were badly burned.

"Go home Flounder, Sebastian." Ariel whispered, her eyes never leaving the human's marred face. "This will take a while, and someone needs to report to Father. Tell him I'm out for seashells or something--" She finally turned to Sebastian to give him a death stare. "But DO NOT mention this jaunt to him, got it?" Sebastian gulped, but nodded.

"Cumm ohn," he motioned to Flounder with a claw. "Ariyal cahn handel dis."

When they were gone, Ariel began her work in earnest. Sitting back in the sand, she interlocked her fingers and concentrated. She'd never been good at this. Attina had always been best at connecting with the Deep Magic that everyone in the royal family inherited. The magic that would allow them to activate the trident if need be. The magic that healed them and maintained their pressure levels in the deep sea. The mermaid didn't know how much she would need for a human; the damage was extensive. She would only be able to heal his exterior injuries, but that had to be enough.

Finally, she felt the cold tingle of her consciousness dipping into a pool of magic in her soul. She'd never done this so purposefully, desperately, before; her resolve shook. In her fear and anticipation, her concentration shattered and she dropped her hands.

"I can't do it." She muttered, looking back to the human. He groaned in his sleep, reminding her of Eric. Her sweet Eric, mourning his lost friend. She couldn't even imagine his tears.

"Right," she whispered, "I may not be able to do it, but I can't give up." Once again, Ariel linked her fingers. This time, she dove into the magic, scooping it up before she could loose her nerve. When her fingers buzzed with magic, she came out of the trance.

More hesitantly than she could understand-- he was unconscious, wasn't he?-- Ariel traced his wounds, barely at first, then more confidently as burns disappeared and scabs faded into healthy skin. She followed a particularly bad cut down the length of his nose, wondering at the fast repair. She traced, rather bashfully, the lines of his lips and pushed the magic down his throat to aid any burns inside. Then she moved down his limp form, repairing torn muscles and burns. The mermaid had to pause upon seeing his newly healed chest. It wasn't the muscles that stunned her (she was used to shirtless men), but the scars there. Short and long, jagged and circular, the mementos of battles and hardships she could not comprehend.

Then, right in the shadow of his collarbone, an injury she'd missed. Her hand hovered there for a second; then she noticed something about this particular blemish. It was in the approximate shape of a jumping fish. Ariel smiled.

"Well, since he seems to collect them, I'll leave him a souvenir." She moved on.

She couldn't do anything about his broken legs (they were inside the skin), but she took extreme care with his beautiful feet. Finally, she turned back to his face and concentrated on his eyes. She hadn't treated them yet because she hadn't wanted to take the chance of him regaining consciousness, but there was no helping it now. The magic jumped eagerly. It had taken surprisingly little to heal him, and the build-up of magic was getting anxious. She placed a hand over his eyes, and her magic exploded. Later, when she tried to explain it to Flounder, Ariel couldn't figure out why it had gone so crazy. It was as if every drop of magic in her wanted to get out. She knew she couldn't let that happen, it could kill her, but her hand wouldn't come away. Ariel felt herself drain, getting hollower and hollower, bursting into a sweat as she fought the strong internal current.

Then, Jim heaved beneath her palm and she fell back, her magic startled to a stop.

Jim woke up, and wished he hadn't.

Everything hurt. Not as much as it should have, he realized later, but it felt as if something was chewing on his legs, his chest hurt from water inhalation, and he had the mother of all migraines. The only comfort he had was a cool, if a bit clammy, hand that suddenly clamped over his sand-crusted eyes.

"Who's there?" He croaked, coughing and swallowing to wet his throat. No answer.

"Come on, I know you're there." He tried to chuckle. "Your hand is on my face."

He moved to bat the hand away, but another hand restrained him.

"Please, don't move," came a young voice. A girl. Jim's head twitched toward the sound. "You're injured," the voice continued, "And I don't know to what extent. Scuttle," The voice addressed someone else now. "Go find Er-- the prince. I don't care how you get him here, but get him here, fast."

"O' course, sweety," A voice drawled above them. He must be up on the bluffs, Jim reasoned. He felt the girl shift her attention back to him.

"Now, I need you to go to sleep." She said gently. The tone didn't suit her.

"What's your name?" Jim asked, all but ignoring her. Her hand jerked mildly.

"Why would you need it?" She asked. "You'll never find me again."

Now Jim jumped, but he covered it with a shrug. That was a mistake. Every movement hurt. "I just thought that the prince would like to know who to thank for saving me. He's really a stickler about that kind of thing."

The girl was quiet for a long time before saying slowly, sadly, "The prince will never find me either." The cawing of a seagull pierced the awkward silence, and the girl was distracted again.

"They're coming. Please, go to sleep!"

"Just like that? Are you crazy? And why do you want to keep your identity a secret so badly? I won't tell anyone--" He had that annoying feeling that she wasn't listening to a word.

"Do you have a headache?" She asked suddenly.

"Yes," Jim grumbled, begrudged that she had reminded him.

"Then maybe," she said lowly, "you won't notice much of a difference when you wake up."

Before Jim could protest, he felt a sharp pain at his left temple, and everything went black.


	3. Urchin Doesn't Prevent Disaster

By the time Ariel returned to Atlantica, it had all blown over. Sebastian had successfully constructed an alibi for all of them; Ariel had gone ship-scavenging again, and Flounder with her. Sebastian had caught Ariel outside the palace walls and taken her back to the palace. Once they had made it back, Ariel had disappeared in the gardens and had not been seen since. Flounder guarded outside the city limits, and when the mermaid returned, he escorted her discreetly to a "voice lesson" with the sneaky crab.

"I have to admit, Sebastian," she chuckled breathlessly, "I'm impressed."

"You forget who rahn de unda'ground moosic indus'ry, chile'." He smiled, polishing the instruments. Ariel nodded half-heartedly, helping him clean up as thanks for his covering for her. She knew how much he hated lying to her father.

Ariel looked down at the coral flute in her lap. She wasn't proud that it was so easy for her, either. Her mind was soon overcome, however, with the face of Prince Eric.

"Isn't he so handsome, and brave, and compassionate?" She asked Flounder dreamily the next day. "He cared so much for that boy... what was his name?"

"Joe?" Flounder suggested, thinking hard. Ariel shrugged.

"Close enough," she agreed off-handedly and went back to meditating on Eric. Flounder swam about her motionless, daydreaming form, not knowing what to do. Ariel had never been infatuated with anyone before. He was about to tap her shoulder to see if she was awake when she turned over onto her back, startling her poor fish friend.

"I am meant to marry him, I know it," she said, determinedly looking past Flounder toward the pale blue sun reflected above. Flounder gave a flustered laugh.

"You just met him, and not even properly." He tried to reason with her. "Besides, how can you guarantee he will fall in love with you, when he probably has a lot of girlfriends already?"

"I will have no one else!" She insisted, turning on her side to glare at him. After a pause, she sighed, her face softening. "I'm sorry Flounder. But even you know I don't belong here."

Flounder gulped. She was right. Did that really mean she had to jump ship (pardon the pun) for the first human she almost met?

"And he's so handsome and strong and selfless." She cooed, on her back again. "I don't know how long I can stay away from him." That statement brought her suddenly back to the boy she also saved and how her magic couldn't stay away from him.

She closed her eyes against the memory. As she did, his face flooded her mind, right down to the quirk in his lop-sided smile. In this memory, however, he opened his eyes. They were blue like hers, but burdened with a tint of grey, like the sea after a storm. She couldn't pull herself away from those eyes.

"Ariel?" Flounder quivered. She'd gone eerily still again.

"Jim." She replied peacefully, opening her eyes again. "His name is Jim."

Jim woke up with a splitting headache. Again. At first he had no idea where he was. He was on the beach. No, he _had_ been on the beach. Now he was in a-- room of some kind. He tried to sit up and found he couldn't, the blankets swathed around him were too heavy for his weak body. He turned his head to one side, toward the wall, and saw three notches in the wall there.

He was in his room. Ok. But he had been on the beach, and something had happened there. What had happened...? He groaned as he grappled with his brain, the noise causing something to his right to shake itself out of sleep. Jim didn't have time to turn his head to see his visitor before it was _on_ him, whining and licking every exposed part of his body.

"Max?" Jim croaked uncertainly, tugging his arms from the cocoon of bedclothes to hold the sheepdog at bay.

Then he heard a familiar churrup! and another tongue was attacking his cheek.

"Morph!" Jim said a bit more enthusiastically, tickling the pink alien. "How long was I out?"

"About two days," Eric said from the doorway. He'd been outside for a breath of fresh air and was summoned by his dog's barking. Morph dove down Jim's shirt when the older man entered the room. Jim smiled at the prince, glad to see he'd made it without any major injuries. He told Eric so.

"Can't say the same for you." The older youth grimaced. "About the 'major injuries' thing. We all thought you were dead. Then, a few hours after I got back to the palace, this maniac seagull pulled at me till I followed it to the bluffs where I saw you on the beach."

"How bad am I?" Jim winced.

"Much better than expected." Eric admitted, the awe evident in his handsome face. "You were still onboard the ship when it exploded, so you shouldn't have gotten away without extensive burns, but when we found you your skin was, for the most part, flawless.

Initially we thought both of your shin bones had been shattered, but one just turned out to be severe bruised, so it should be fine in a few days. Your broken leg should heal up in a few weeks, and external injuries are, as I said, surprisingly minimal." Jim marveled as well, though he felt sure that it wasn't just good luck that kept him alive.

"You were a horrible patient," Eric was saying. "Even though you have two damaged legs, you still tried to get up out of the stretcher when you regained consciousness on the way back to the palace. Kept yelling about a 'hateful creature' and 'I'll show you a rock'." Eric chuckled, then petered into silence at Jim's intense gaze. Finally, the boy shrugged, leaning back on his pillow. "I don't remember." He murmured. "Am I really so unharmed?" The prince nodded.

"Yes, except for a few cuts and bruises on your back." Eric coughed. "And there's also an odd-- scab on your collarbone. It's in the shape of a fish. When the captain saw you, he said that it was 'right unnatural'. That you belonged to the sea now." Eric laughed nervously again.

Jim smiled wanly, fingering the scab on his shoulder subconsciously.

"Yeah," he sighed, "Maybe I am."

"I can't wait any longer!" Ariel cried in frustration, knocking a jewelry box from its pedestal, its contents scattering across the floor of her grotto. She hurriedly dove to pick up the treasures, wondering if this agitated, elated, desperate feeling was what love was supposed to feel like. "I haven't seen him in three days because you refuse to help me." she pointed accusingly at Flounder, "and now I'm so anxious and restless I don't know what to do with myself." She replaced the jewelry box, snapping its lid shut.

"I don't understand," Ariel whimpered, her eyes squeezed shut, inclining her head until red lights danced behind her eyelids. "Love feels wonderful but at the same time, so insecure. And in my insecurity, I'm hurting other people I love." Her chin dropped to her chest. "Like my father did." Flounder swam forward slowly to put a fin on his friend's shoulder.

"I don't know what you're going through, Ariel," the yellow fish admitted, "But I can tell that this moodiness of yours won't go away until you meet this prince guy. So..." Flounder winced. He was going to regret this... "I'll help you."

Ariel twirled to face him, a wide grin on her face.

"But you CAN'T let him see you as a mermaid." The fish stressed. "I'll break some rules for you, Ariel, but not that one. We'll just have to get ahold of something to hide your tail--"

"How about a set of legs?" Ariel mused, a mischievous smile replacing her innocent grin.

"That would wo-- whoa whoa whoa! Where're you gonna get l-l--"

"Legs." Ariel finished, liking the idea better all the time. "I know just person who could... PROCURE them for me."

Jim was bedridden for the next three days to "recover from a minor concussion", according to Captain Harris. He was never want for company, however.

"Unfortunately." Jim grumbled when the captain pointed this out. The middle aged man barked a laugh, punching Jim lightly on the arm.

"You would say that, Hawkins." He chuckled. Jim grinned. Captain Harris was the only one of his many visitors that didn't treat him like an injured orcas. He did notice, though, that the captain avoided the left side of his body like the plague. Even when he helped Jim sit up or go to the restroom, he wouldn't disturb the younger sailor's "marked" side unless Jim would fall otherwise. Jim, though this bothered him, didn't say a word about it. Sailors of every galaxy had their superstitions, and trying to convince them it was all foolishness was like trying to talk to a certain cyborg about curtains for your sitting room.

Speaking of cyborgs and outer space;

"Captain?" Jim asked over soup one day, "How will this injury effect my time here? There's no way that I can learn all I need to in the time left after I heal." Captain Harris nodded.

"I thought of that." He said, digging about in his deep jacket pocket. "I already sent a full report with the last convoy telling them all about your injuries and heroic deeds and asked for another month to complete your training... ah!" He finally managed to produce a thick book from his coat. Jim raised an eyebrow at the feat, then allowed a small grin.

"Homework?" He guessed.

"A good captain is as well read as he is muscled." The captain said sternly, dropping the book onto the bedside table. "I expect a full synopsis when you are better."

"Yes, sir."

The prince also came to visit with annoying regularity. He considered himself fully to blame for the young sailor's condition, and so doted on him like a son.

This perturbed Jim profusely, but what could he do? Even if he ordered Eric to stay still for a couple of minutes and spare him a headache, the heir would fret about headaches and insist he fetch him a poultice for his head.

"I just feel so horrible." Eric groaned the second afternoon.

"It couldn't be helped." Jim sighed. They'd had this conversation five times already.

"But Max was in danger--"

"I completely understand."

"I owe you so much."

"You owe me nothing." He owed him a little peace and quiet.

"How can you lie there, crippled, and say that?" Eric demanded.

"You are a prince!" Jim scolded. "Get used to people doing stuff for you, or soon you'll be indebted to half your kingdom!"

Eric, sufficiently reprimanded, then turned to his second favorite subject: the mystery girl.

"She was so beautiful-- at least, from what I could tell. The sun was to her back and it's all a little fuzzy-- and she had a voice like a siren. She was brave, too, if she would swim those stormy waters just to save me. And after she dragged me ashore, she was so gentle--"

This didn't sound right to Jim, but he didn't know why. "I can't stop thinking about her."

"What's her name?" Jim asked to appease him.

"I don't know." The prince admitted with an airy laugh. "But I'm sure it's lovely. I'm going to continue the search for her after I'm done here."

"Don't delay on my account."

"Oh, it's no trouble. After all, you too have saved--"

"How do you expect to find her?" Jim asked quickly. He really couldn't care less, but he did not want to return to the 'I must repay you' topic.

"I originally sent out a summons throughout the capital, but it's been a three days, so I've sent other proclamations to the surrounding towns."

"How do you know she's even from this country?" Jim inquired, thinking of how he, a spacer, had snuck in under their noses.

"She spoke our language, and who else would know when my birthday was besides my own subjects?" The injured youth decided not to argue with the prince's logic. He was too tired.

"I just hope she turns up before I have to go to Florin in two days," Eric continued to think aloud, not realizing that his ward was falling asleep. "I'm afraid that if I don't find her by then, she will be lost to me forever."

Ariel set off on her quest alone, leaving Flounder to keep tabs on Sebastian and her father. She knew Flounder wouldn't want to go where she was going anyway. To be safe, Ariel tied a scrap of cloth around her shells and hid her hair in a bandana the way she'd seen the fortunetellers wear them. Then she and her favorite dolphin escort, Conch, headed for the notorious gang and criminal hide-out, Dread Cove.

The mermaid princess had been down this treacherous road multiple times, but each trip it frightened her anew. She clung to Conch's dorsal fin as they passed taverns, witches' grottos, and shark fight arenas. A homeless merman tried to lift Ariel's purse. Conch sensed the hesitant movement and turned on the mer-cretin, baring his sharp teeth in a deadly warning. Before the merman could shrink away. Ariel took a small bag of pearls from her purse and dangled it in front of the offender's face.

"Split this with the others,"she said loudly and clearly, "and tell them this is all I have."

Depositing the fortune in the poor merman's hands, the two continued.

As they swam fewer eyes watched them, until they were on the edge of Dread Cove's "shopping district". There she tied Conch up in front of a familiar, well-lit hovel. Ariel smiled. Safe or not, he was always worth the danger to see

"Urchin? Knock knock! Anyone home?" She heard a young laugh from inside the sheer curtains and a few moments later an overweight mermaid holding a small bag was nudged out of the door.

"Are you sure this will work?" She asked a person behind her nervously. The youthful laugh rang out again.

"Of course the weight loss serum will work." He reassured his client. "I PROCURED it from a wealthy seashell model myself. Only the best for my favorite costumer."

The mermaid giggled, blushed, and scurried away. Ariel raised her eyebrows, impressed.

"You've gotten better at this, 'brother'."

The blonde mer-teen smiled brightly. "Thank you, 'sister'." He hugged her tightly.

"What brings you all the way out to the armpit of Atlantica?"

"A favor. A secret. An adventure," She whispered in his ear.

Urchin grinned. "Tell me more."

"So the only way I can be with him is to be a human myself." Ariel concluded an hour later. They were sitting at a small table in the dining room of Urchin's three-room abode sharing a bowl of boiled plankton (a rare delicacy because one had to go all the way down to the treacherous ocean volcanoes to cook them. Ariel didn't ask how he'd acquired such a special dish). Urchin chewed on a morsel thoughtfully.

"I may be able to assist you, but are you sure about this? Your sisters, your friends... your father. You'd be leaving them all behind." Ariel looked down at her lap.

"Yes. If it doesn't work out as planned, I can always seek out Daddy and he can change me back. And I'll visit when I think Dad is ready."

"That could be years." Urchin pointed out. "The sea king isn't known for his mild tempers. You get even close to the beach, let alone the sea, and he could drag you back in. If you go after this prince guy--"

"Eric." Ariel interjected. Urchin raised his hands defensively.

"Sorry. Eric, then you might as well say good-bye to the ocean until you think your Dad is 'ready'. Can you handle that?"

Ariel inhaled deeply, picturing Eric's sleeping face in her mind. "Yes."

"Well then," Her friend leaned over the table, his voice lowering to that of secrecy. "I know someone on the surface who deals in this kind of magic--"

"You know a **human**?!" Ariel whispered excitedly.

"Stop interrupting. And yeah, technically he is a human, though he was born a merman. Like you he fell in love with a human, though she was only a milkmaid, and he scoured the oceans to find a way to be with her. Finally he found a secret spell south of Madagascar that transmorphed him, and now he lives as a sort of miracle man in the capital. I've purchased contraband items from him and done a few favors, so he owes me one."

The mermaid could barely contain her excitement. She hovered over her chair, her elation coming out of her in torrents of bubbles. "Perfect! Brilliant! When will you have it?"

"If all goes well, about a week."

Ariel sunk back into her seat. "Why so long?" She pouted.

"Because this is serious business." Urchin explained, a bit perturbed. "I'm dealing with _humans_ here, Ariel. On the _surface_. It's not exactly a swim in the reef."

Ariel realized she'd overstepped her bounds said meekly,

"Thank you, Urchin. This was more than I could ever hope for."

"Oh, don't thank me, Red. I'm coming with you."

"For the last time, Sable, NO!" Jim sighed, leaning heavily on his right crutch to sweep the hair from his face. "There is no way on earth or above it that I am letting you come to the cook's vacation home with me!"

"And if I hear you've been anywhere near there, or even think so," Captain Harris growled, "I'll go and fetch you back myself." He slung Jim's packed bag over his shoulder. Sable blanched, then turned back to her target.

"But Jim, to be there all by yourself! What if you fall, or lose something, or have trouble bathing--"

"What?!" Both men asked in disbelief.

Sable waved her hands in front of her face to hide the blush forming there. "N-nothing. The fact remains that it's not safe there all by yourself. I could be like a nurse or something."

"No offense, Duchess," Jim smirked, "but I've seen your 'nursing' skills, and I'm not too impressed. Besides, I have Morph." He patted a small, fat bird on his shoulder which chirruped fondly in reply. Sable grimaced at the dirty animal.

"Fine. But at least let me send a servant with you to--"

Jim smiled again, and it made her heart thump uncomfortably. "Thank you, but no. I'll be fine without any spi--ehem-- servants. The doctor said that I should relax, and to be honest, I've been coveting this alone time." Jim paused, expecting Sable to storm away. When she kept standing there, a hopeful look on her face, he added, "By myself."

Finally Jim got the reaction he'd been expecting. Sable stomped her foot and, shoulders tensed in anger, marched out of the room.

"You're really looking forward to this next week, aren't you?" The captain chuckled, shifting the luggage's weight to fit through the dorm's thin door.

Jim grunted as he limped over to follow the older man. Morph cooed worriedly at his friend's pain. "You have no idea."

Ariel took Urchin's request like a blast of cold air to the face. Refreshing, relieving, yet--

"Why?" Ariel asked, shaking the shock from her mind. Urchin laughed his beautiful laugh.

"Take a look around," he said. "I live in a hovel, confined to the ocean that everyone knows. Nowhere to go, nowhere to call my own. Everyone here knows my past and they treat me different for it. I want a clean slate, Ariel, and new things. Like you."

Ariel sat back, thinking this over.

"There's no way I can say no without sounding like a hypocrite," she mused aloud.

"Of course," Urchin smiled. "I planned it that way."

"Have you thought this out?" She asked, trying to be mature.

"Have you?" He countered. "The excuses you gave me earlier were just that: excuses. If we go to the surface, there's no coming back, not even for a visit. You're too important. You know that."

Ariel shrugged, trying to shake off the gravity of his words. "I don't have time to think about it. To doubt it. I have to see him again." She looked her friend straight in the eyes. "I love him." The merman scratched his chin.

"Well, I can't say no to that." He ate the last of the plankton. "I guess we're both going to the surface." The mermaid felt anticipation build in her stomach.

"I guess so."

Urchin saw Ariel off with a small bag filled with scale cream so that none of the low lives would suspect anything. After reaffirming their plans for the following week, Ariel grabbed onto Conch's dorsal fin and they were off.

Ariel was halfway to the grotto when Sebastian intercepted her.

"An' jus' where have you bin, young lady?" He demanded, claws supported on the sides of his shell. Ariel allowed a small grimace. Flounder, you were supposed to keep him busy! Well, I guess keeping Daddy off my scent is more important... the young princess remembered the small parcel in her hand and heaved a sigh.

"I was at Urchin's," she explained reluctantly, hoping she wasn't giving too much away. "Just a friendly visit. See, he gave me some scale cream as a gift." She held the bag aloft and Sebastian snatched it from her to inspect the contents.

"Hmmmm," he mused. "You're safe dis time, missy. But don't go runnin off agin wif out tellin me or your fadda." Ariel rolled her eyes.

"I'm perfectly able to take care of myself."

Sebastian chuckled, remembering that he was dealing with a daydreaming teenage girl, not just the daughter of the king. "Of cos, Aryal. But until you proov dat to de king, you'd betta come wif me." Ariel rolled her eyes but complied, motioning for Conch to go ahead without her. They'd been swimming for about ten minutes when Sebastian asked in a very forthright manner,

"Awright. Now, why were you really at Urchin's?"

Ariel almost jumped, and to keeping from jumping, she had to tense. "N-no reason. Why do you ask?" Sebastian shook his head.

"Becos I know you, princess. Now, tell me."

Ariel bit her lip. She didn't want to tell him. No, she REALLY didn't want to tell him, because he was the only one who might be able to sway her resolve. Well, she couldn't tell him the human bit, anyway. The half truth then. Her stomach lurched at the thought of lying yet again, but she heard herself whisper;

"He is going to arrange a-- trip to the surface for me. To see the p-prince." She couldn't look at him. She didn't have to. She could feel his anger and disbelief.

"Ariel," he said forcefully, stopping in the middle of the reef. "You dun't know wot you're asking. You cud be caught or ki--"

"I may not know what I'm doing." Ariel admitted, "But I am in love. In love, Sebastian. Please," she took his claws in her hands, drawing him up to her face. "Please don't take this from me. If you do, I'll be miserable for the rest of my life."

Sebastian saw the sincerity in her eyes and sighed.

"You're really intent on dis, on't you?" Ariel smiled a small smile and nodded. Sebastian sighed again. "I'm too old for dis." He complained. "But I guess dat you were neva like one of us, hmm? Fine, I won't tell your fadda now. But if anyting goes wrong, you're going ta be locked up fo de rest of your life, got dat?" Ariel nodded excitedly.

"Of course, I get it!" She hugged him, then finally noticed her surroundings. "Just where are we going, anyway?"

"You were goin' to de grotto, weren't you?" Sebastian asked without looking back at her. "I figured I'd jus' make sure you got dere." Ariel grinned. Maybe their was hope for this cranky crustacean yet.

Ursula let a diabolical chuckle slip past her lips as she watched the scene unfold before her. By using her scrying orb she could watch Ariel and Triton's movements as well as the hapless prince. The royal mer-family, however, was currently a far better show.

Ariel had arrived in her grotto where she discovered the prince's sculpture that Flounder had laboriously delivered. She was busily swimming around a gothic figure, cooing and running her fingers over its (literally) chiseled features. She kept turning back to her little yellow fish friend to hug him and spin him about excitedly. The sea-witch rolled her eyes at the princess's naive elation. She flicked her attention to Triton, who had become suspicious at Flounder's sudden attachment to him. When the small fish had fled when a dolphin escort returned from an unknown destination the king, on a hunch, followed. He got as far as the reef before loosing Flounder in all the sea foliage.

It was a horribly unlikely twist of fate that the sea king swam by the hidden grotto in time to hear his youngest daughter squeal in joy. It was nothing for him to locate the source of the sound and heft the rock blocking the entrance aside.

"Daddy!" Ariel exclaimed as her father's silhouette materialized at her doorway. The color drained from the mermaid's face as she tried in vain to hide the statue with her body.

"I consider myself a reasonable merman," the king growled. Ursula could tell from the tensed muscles in his face and neck that he was holding back most of his anger. She giggled.

"Let's see how long this lasts."

"--and I expect those rules to be obeyed." Triton was saying. Ariel looked flustered, desperate to defend her beloved humans.

"I had to-- Daddy--"

"Had to what?" Triton seemed notice the stone prince for the first time and recognized its subject. "You didn't." He whispered. Ariel and Ursula watched with bated breath as the sea king's face drained of color.

"There was a storm on the surface. A centuries old defense mechanism, tripped. I had heard that two of the crew had been onboard during an explosion. They were miraculously saved. Ariel, don't tell me you--"

Ariel hid behind the statue to shelter herself from her father's sad stare.

"I had no choice." She whispered. She frowned, then looked up at her father and said in a louder voice. "He would have died!"

"Oh, wrong choice of words, honey." Ursula critiqued, throwing a shrimp into her mouth.

"One less human to worry about!" Triton yelled, his composure slipping. Ursula's smiled widened. She raised her first finger, pointing at the ceiling. "Hook..."

"You don't even know him!" Ariel tried to reason.

"Know him?! I don't have to know him!"

Ursula leaned back, adding raising her middle finger as well. "Line,"

"Daddy, I LOVE HIM!"

Ursula lifted a third finger. "Sinker."

"No." Triton's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Yes." Ursula cackled, her hand making a fist. She drank in the pain on her enemy's face, allowing her cackle to escalate into a triumphant howl.

Jim sighed, lounging on the balcony of his borrowed villa and enjoying the ocean view. He took a sip of lemonade from a margarita glass that Morph had brought him, his crutches on the floor next to the beach chair. The scene should have been perfect.

The injured spacer closed his eyes to the world and focused on the sound of the waves, his eyebrows furrowing as he tried to relax.

Then, moments later, his eyes snapped open and he sighed a sigh of exasperation.

"I can't do it, Morph." He told his friend. "I can't relax by doing nothing. I am a spacer-- a man of action. I can't sit around like a bum." Morph cooed helpfully, lifting the tarp off of the half-assembled solar surfer.

"I've already done all that I can with the equipment I brought." Jim informed the pink alien. He swung his right leg onto the floor and carefully moved his casted one to join it.

"We could go to the beach to look for--ugh--" He hefted himself up onto his crutches, "-- a board to inlay the tech into. The wreck happened not too far from here, maybe we can find a sufficient piece there." Morph chirruped and zipped around the youth, as happy to go exploring as Jim was to get some exercise.

About an hour later Jim and Morph were about a mile down the beach, the former thoroughly exhausted. His hurt leg throbbed, and balancing on sand with crutches was not as easy as he'd hoped. Finally, he gave up. He slid down his crutches and promptly collapsed back in the sand, opening the cap to his canteen with his teeth.

"Just a quick breather." He insisted in response to Morph's worried purrs. "I'll be OK--" he gasped as a wave of pain ran down his left leg-- "in a few minutes."

Jim took a few more draws at the water, watching the sky turn to dusk behind the clouds. He hoped they would clear out soon. One of the things he was really looking forward to during his brief leave was watching the stars at night uninterrupted.

As he observed the clouds' movements, he noticed that they were moving, faster and faster, darker and darker, in a circular pattern over a certain place not twenty meters out to sea. The clouds directly over the location were as black as ink and rumbled slightly, like a striped cateagle on the hunt.

There was another sound,too, that resonated above the crashing waves; a melody.

Jim sat up, looking up and down the beach for the source of the music. No one.

Of course no one's there, Jim hypothesized. It was coming from the ocean. It was of the ocean, the notes perfectly harmonized by the hissing of the waves. He leaned forward, basking in the siren's song; if he had been able to move, he might have walked right into the ocean in pursuit of it. Such a lovely voice; a voice that, for some reason, he knew he has heard before. The source of it was hidden deep within his memory, but...

...and then it stopped. The clouds seemed to travel in reverse, uncoiling themselves from the dark , stormy center and dissipating into the evening sky. Soon, everything was as it had been before and Jim was left with an odd sense of loss.

Morph, who recovered from strange events quicker than his friend, chirped and pointed excitedly when he spotted the first star.

Jim smiled, pushing the mystery of lost memories aside and reaching out a hand for Morph to perch on.

"Beautiful, isn't she?" Jim asked his companion. But in the back of his mind, he wondered if he was referring to the star, or the enchanting voice that enticed from the sea.

Ariel stared blankly at the destroyed grotto, her body numb to the after heat of her father's trident and her ears deaf to the inquiries of her friends.

All she could feel was the freezing cold of her father's hatred towards the human species, and all her ears could hear was the brutal truth: merfolk and humans could never coexist.

So where did that leave her? She was a mermaid, she could not deny that. But a part of her was also not mer... not natural. So where did she belong?

Anger pooled in her stomach and boiled up until the heat built in her cheeks and tears bled from her eyes into the ocean. She brought her forearm to her mouth to muffle the sobs.

This wasn't right. The merfolk weren't right. True, the humans may eat fish, and they might not be aware of the damage they do to the marine world, but they didn't even know merfolk existed!

"Ariyal," Sebastian quavered, regret heavy in his dialect, "I didn't mean to tell--"

And had her father even tried to reason with them?

"--ee twas an ax-edent."

Had he even tried to understand their side?

No.

Her father knew nothing of the humans or what they were like. Well, she would show him. She would become one of them and prove to him that merpeople and land people could live in harmony. She realized Flounder and Sebastian were still there, watching the scene she was making. She blushed.

"Just go away." She said gruffly, her back to them in defiance.

She would prove her father wrong-- she picked up the fragment of the shattered statue, the piece with Prince Eric's face on it, and hugged it to her chest-- no matter what it took.

Flounder shuffled (as well as a fish can) to the threshold, sparing one last look at his best friend. No matter how strong she pretended to be, he knew she was distraught and confused. She loved her father-- she loved the sea-- but as she had said before, she didn't belong. So, as he watched the back of his friend shake in angry tears, he vowed to support her.. whatever her decision might be.

Though they left the grotto according to Princess Ariel's commands, Sebastian and Flounder waded diligently outside the entrance, waiting for their friend to reappear. It was Flounder that noticed the mermaid exiting through the top of the grotto, accompanied by two eels.

"Dee sea wichas henchman!" Sebastian exclaimed upon seeing them. "She's goin te see Ursula!"

They followed Ariel and the eels past the gates of Atlantica, through Dread Cove, and into the forbidden depths. Forbidden, because they were only twenty meters from the shallows of land.

Flounder choked back an alarmed yip when their destination became clear through the thick seaweed.

"A s-sea serpent sk-sk-skeleton?!" He stuttered hoarsely to his crabby companion, who only shushed him. Sebastian noticed the fish's trepidation, however, and so kept a comforting claw below Flounder's dorsal fin to steady him as they swam shakily into the witch's lair.

The atmosphere inside the cavern was even more daunting than outside. The water was lukewarm and there was no current, but there was a faint buzzing of magic in the air that made swimming there feel like wading through a vat of worms. Breathing the water was equally unnerving. Adjusting to this gut wrenching environment slowed down Ariel's rescuers considerably, so by the time they reached the inner chamber Ariel was already half-entranced by the voluminous witch's offer.

Flounder could see the hope in Ariel's eyes... heart breaking hope that he could see was false with just one look at Ursula's triumphant face.

"Have we got a deal?" She sneered, her too-red lips stretched over fangs.

Sebastian saw the same treachery in the squid's motives as Flounder had and leapt desperately forward.

"No Ariyal--!"

Flotsam and Jetsam, the eels who had brought the princess there, tied themselves around the intruders to stop the crab's voice of reason.

Ariel didn't even notice the outburst. Another voice of reason was screaming at her; her father's.

"If.. I become human," she realized, her eyes unfocused in pain. "I'll never be with my father or sisters again."

Flounder nodded through his living bonds. Even though she was hard headed and a bit dense at times, nothing was more important to Ariel than family. The only problem was, did she understand how devastated her family would be at her disappearance?

Flounder tuned out the witch's coaxing until the tentacled merwoman mentioned her terms of payment.

Her voice? He wondered.

Sebastian saw through her scheme immediately. There was no way the human prince would recognize her without hearing her beautiful voice. Secretly, the crab had thought Ariel would have a chance if she did get to the surface by this perverted route, but now he knew she was hopeless. And he was hopeless to help her.

So he watched in horror as the story began to unfold.


	4. Putting On Shirts

Ariel stared at the scroll in front of her, her common sense roaring back at the moment of truth. Consider your loyalties! It pleaded. In the ocean you have friends and family that love you, a country that needs you. Up there there is no guarantees, no friends. Only mystery and doubt.

And adventure! Ariel fought back. And Eric! And acceptance! Yes, there will be mysteries, but there will be answers, and comfort for my doubt.

What about your father? Reason cut in. Your sisters? You're betraying them just by your presence in this horrible place.

I love my family. Ariel insisted, but I love Eric too. I love my dreams. I'm sure my family loves me enough that they will come to accept my decision.

Which is--?

Ariel took a deep breath of the vile water and grabbed the quill pen. I can always come back to the sea, but I won't get a second chance at true love.

It is a horrifying sensation, having your voice taken away.

She wasn't sure if it had taken hours or minutes, the vortex of green magic seemed to swallow time as well as her song.

As she began to sing Ariel felt feather-soft fingers brush her neck lovingly, enticingly. She leaned obediently into their hold. Suddenly, the fingers turned clammy as they tightened around her throat until it felt as if they were pulling at her very vocal chords.

Ariel gasped for air.

"SING!" Ursula demanded at the princess's hesitation, so she began again, despite the pain in her throat as the hands dug their thumbnails into her flesh and began to pull out her voice.

It felt as if they were pulling all of the warmth from her body...

...and then the pain, and the hands, were gone.

Ariel was still catching her breath when a gold arm of magic enveloped her. Her mind went blank as all of the healing magic was sucked from her to repair the damage done as her fin unzipped to reveal two limbs that, she realized when the magic released her, went as limp as jellyfish. She flailed about helplessly, her breath pushed from her yet again, as she tried desperately to reach the light of the sun only yards above her. The water, which had previously held her up, tried to drag her down, pressing at her from all sides.

Her friends, who had been released once she was in the bubble of gold magic, shot forward to aid their now human princess to the forbidden surface.

"Ughh," Jim woke to a strange stinging pain in his broken leg and a wet sensation on his cheek.

"Morph, cut it out." The cripple grumbled, turning his face away from the licking and bringing his arm up to shade his face from the sun.

Morph whined in protest, then gave out a small... bark.

"Wha--? Max?" Jim realized, finally opening his eyes to see the canine. "Why are you here? I know I agreed to take care of you while Eric goes on his field trip, but you are supposed to be dropped off tomorrow, and I am not doing over.. time."

Finally, the young sailor realized where he was.

"I fell asleep on the BEACH?!" He exclaimed, his voice cracking on the last syllable. Max licked his face in reply, not grasping the gravity of the situation.

Jim did a quick body check and cursed under his breath. During the night the tide had risen, and now his cast was soaked through. He would have to go into town to have it replaced.

His swearing woke Morph, who helped his master sit up, all the while happily mimicking every explicative Jim had said. The youth shut him up with a slightly soggy cookie.

"How could I have fallen asleep?" Jim mentally kicked himself as he made his slow way back to the summer home. "I don't even remember falling asleep. Must've worn myself out trying to walk on sand with crutches." He swore again. Morph mimicked him, and Jim swore a third time for causing the small alien to swear. He made a mental note to watch his language in the future. He may be masquerading as a sailor, but that didn't mean he had to talk like one. They were trekking through the more rocky section of the beach when Max caught the scent. Without a second thought, the dog was bounding off in pursuit of the smell... away from the house.

"Max!" Jim called, trying his best to keep up. "Max, come!" Max whined, wavered, then continued on his search.

"Ugh, that son of a--" He caught sight of Morph, watching him expectantly for new vocabulary words. The spacer had no choice but to bite back his curses and follow the deranged mutt.

Ariel roused a few hours after her transformation to the new and wonderful sensation of the sun burning red behind her eyelids and the waves lapping against her new legs.

Legs! She'd passed out right when they'd made it ashore so she hadn't gotten a good look at them. She crossed one dripping leg over her other bent-- what was it called?-- oh right, knee, so that she could examine her feet.

She had wiggled her toes for twenty whole minutes before Scuttle spotted her from the sky and his excited calls woke her marine companions.

"Well, look at what the catfish dragged in! Look at ya! Look at ya! There's something different. Don't tell me -"

Scuttle's last words caused Ariel's hands to fly to her throat. Even if she wanted to tell her friend that she most obviously had LEGS, like Sebastian was now exclaiming, she couldn't.

Her hair fell into her face as she remembered her encounter with that terrible witch. She only had three days; there was no time to lose!

"--She's gotta make the prince fall in love with her, and he's gotta ki- he's gotta kiss her." Flounder flustered as the new human tried to stand up.

She's seen it done in books, and in all of the paintings she'd collected this was a favorite pose, but she had never consider the amount of poise and balance it took to accomplish!

And I never knew I was this... tall! She thought giddily, losing her footing and toppling with a splash. She sat up, rubbing her throbbing lower back and brushing her limp, heavy heavy hair from her face with a sigh.

This, she decided, is when the prince should come in and save me. She made another attempt at standing, leaning on a rock formation for support.

"Look at her!" Sebastian exclaimed, still in shock. "On legs! On human legs! Oh, my nerves are shot. This is a catastrophe! What wud her fadda say? I tell you what her fadda'd say. He'd say he's gonna keel himself a crob, dat's what he fadda'd say! I'm gonna--"

Ariel had just laid hands on her overseer, who had been in the process of marching into the sea, when a familiar voice caught her attention.

"Max come! Max! MAX!" Oh no, the ex-mermaid groaned inwardly.

The girl peered over the walls of her sheltered pool only to be knocked down for the second time by a great, furry, white... thing. She frantically pushed the animal off of her, throwing Sebastian to who knows where, and scrambling for some kind of shield against the thing's tongue that seemed to attack her at all sides.

Finally, she found a long wooden board-- probably a part of the prince's ship-- and held it in front of her. She fended off the beast's assaults for what seemed like an eternity until--

"Max, heel!" The breathless voice-that-Ariel-really-didn't-want-to-hear called again. "Seriously, mutt, you can't drag me all over the bloody beach just so you can--"

Ariel had peeked out from behind the plank to glance at her rescuer, but now retreated upon drawing his gaze.

There was silence.

Why, Fates? Ariel whimpered, her knuckles white against the damp wood. Why, out of all the humans on this planet, does HE have to be the one to find me, and so helpless! The last time I saw him I was hitting his temple with a rock! He must hate me...

But, for some reason, she felt safe around the moody teenager, and she at least knew his character. Should she write him off so rashly?

"Ummmm," Jim-- that was his name-- stammered from behind the board, interrupting her thoughts. "I can still see you."

There is something that everyone should know that's very important to the plot of this fanfic. Are you ready? OK.... Jim is a guy.

Thus, even though he said he's sworn off women, that doesn't stop him from being attracted to girls and totally losing his cool around them. Especially the cute ones.

Roll film!

Jim could only stare. He forgot all about Max and his aching leg; his eyes locked on the terrified girl in the shallow pool.

An angel, his hormonal side cooed, making his knees weak-- or rather, weaker. She's even hiding behind a plank that's perfect for the solar surfer. It's as if she was sent by God.

Jim didn't have a set type. He'd dated a couple times and knew what he didn't want in a girl, but as far as smarts or athletics or originality went, he didn't really care. It would be nice, though, he thought as the girl peeked at him from behind her shield, that whoever I fall for would look a lot like her. He smirked as she withdrew again, though her legs from the knees down protruded from the water.

"Ummmm--" Jim wasn't sure how to deal with this girl. He thought people outgrew the can't-see-you-can't-see-me phase at three. "--I can still see you." She looked around the board at him again, and he held out a hand to help her up (balancing his crutch against his good knee).

"Can you stand?" The girl stared, a bit open-mouthed, blushed, and frowned. The spacer leaned forward, taking hold of the board.

The girl snapped. Though she made no noise of protest, suddenly Jim was soaked by a wall of water.

"Hey, stop that!" Jim exclaimed as the frantic maiden kicked more and more salt water into his face as she awkwardly backed away, trying to make her escape. Max, who had, until this time, been perched on a rock to watch the whole scene, jumped into the water as well, barking happily. This sudden change of events discombobulated the tired and pained man, and the water made the stones he was balancing on treacherous. With a large splash, he lost his footing and slid into the water, his crutches clattering out of his reach.

His yell of pain quieted the dog and the assailant, both looking at him with inquisitive eyes. Tears fell unbidden down his face as he repositioned his leg.

"Well," he huffed, not meeting his observers' eyes, "At least I know how to shut you up in future: cause myself inexplicable pain."

The redheaded girl had moved to her knees in the tidal pool, the board resting on her thighs to cover her lower half.

'Can YOU stand?' She mouthed, pointing at him. Jim looked into the ocean blue eyes that were now only a foot from his.

"Um," he stammered. He looked away, anywhere to avoid sinking into them. It was then that he realized. "You're naked!" Though he couldn't see anything scandalous, she was showing enough skin to suggest nothing else. The redhead cocked her head for a moment, as if processing the information, then it clicked. She hurriedly stood her wood barrier on end, hugging it to her body. She looked about frantically for an escape, and as his stomach sank he realized that he didn't want her to leave just yet. If he was honest with himself, though he was relishing the peace and quiet of his vacation, this didn't mean he wanted to be alone. And this beautiful girl was... intriguing, to say the least.

"Steady, steady, it's OK." He reassured with a smile. "Here," he took off his jacket to allow him to strip off his shirt. He handed the damp garment to her. "Wear this. It'll be long enough that you can wear it comfortably until we get back to the villa."

The redhead looked at the shirt then at him, her face completely confused.

"You don't have a place to stay, right?"

She shook her head.

"Well, I'm not the type of sp--sailor to just leave a pretty lady like you sitting in a tidal pool. You can bunk at my place as long as you need to-- I'm borrowing it myself. No requirements, no fees." The girl was still staring. Jim slapped his hands against the water, a little frustrated at her evident bewilderment on such a simple subject. Was no one generous where she came from?

"Come on," he urged, "Will you let me help you?"

The girl looked at the shirt, contemplating for a moment. Then, she reached out to offer the shirt back. He took it automatically.

Having returned his token, she immediately hugged the plank back to her chest and fell back down in the water with a splash.

Ariel bit back tears of embarrassment as she fell back into the water once again, positioning the board to hide her nakedness. The current situation was too mortifying for words! First, she's found by the human that she saved and assaulted. Then, in her confusion over his misplaced kindness, she'd knocked him down! To make matters worse, it seems that she hadn't done a good job with her healing and he couldn't walk! Ariel shuddered at the thought that her carelessness had maimed one of her precious creatures. She could have at least set the bone. But no, she had been an airhead.

Where was she? First, second, third...

Fourth, when she'd tried to help him, he'd realized something she hadn't even considered... she was naked! This term was new to her, but when she assessed his clothes appearance and her... not so clothed one, she had figured it out. Oh, the horror! And finally, when he offered her his own clothing, even if she had a voice, she would never have been able to tell him that she had never put on a shirt before!

The sea princess knew now the utter hopelessness of her situation. She didn't know her way around, she couldn't speak, she couldn't even walk or dress herself properly! How was she supposed to fit into such a different society? Slowly, regrettably, she began to cry, the tears stinging her eyes.

She heard a knock on the wood over the roaring in her ears.

"Miss? Miss, are you crying? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Ariel tried to still her sobs, bringing the plank higher over her face. She heard a small growl.

"I'm getting tired of these childish games." There was a splash, and suddenly, the human was peering over the plank, his head blocking the sun.

Ariel mouthed a squeal, attempting to raise the plank higher.

"Oh no you don't!" Jim said, pulling the board from her grasp. "We're not going through this again. We both know that you're lost, disoriented, and being mute doesn't help." Ariel gaped at him. He was sharp.

"So," he continued, pulling a disoriented Ariel back into a sitting position, "you're going to have to accept my offer, or I swear on my word as a sailor, I won't leave you alone till you do."

The girl couldn't suppress a blush. She'd never had a guy come after her so insistently before.

Sensing her complacency, Jim held out his shirt.

"Now," he challenged, "shall we try this again?"

Jim didn't know why he was trying so hard to aid this stranded stranger. She was intriguing, yes, and beautiful, but his leg was beginning to sear and his stomach rumble. Usually he wouldn't consider someone worth the trouble. Someone else was bound to find her eventually. Yet here he was, trying to coax a terrified girl into some clothes. This was wrong on so many levels. But it was nothing compared to--

"You don't know how to put on a shirt?"

The girl, who was still wiping the tears form her cheeks, shook her head.

Jim exhaled, embarrassed and exasperated at Earth's bizarre customs. Still, he couldn't leave her n-- that way. "Fine," he growled, gesturing the other teen to come toward him. "Come here."

The girl paused for a moment, then moved cautiously toward him. She stopped a foot away from him, her hands planted through her crossed legs.

"I'm gonna show you how to put on a shirt, OK?" He said more softly. "Now, can you lift your arms up for me?"

The girl glanced down, then back up at him uncertainly. Now Jim blushed.

"Here, you can put the plank back in your lap!" He complied hurriedly, "Now please, just raise your arms."

She raised her arms, and he brought the shirt over her head. It took a few moments to get her arms through the holes, but soon the shirt was untangled and everything was in the right place. Jim was about to retreat without incident when, while releasing the hem, his hand brushed her side. The girl jumped like a frightened cat, legs flinging and kicking until she was hung up on a rock on the other side of the shallow pool.

Jim gasped from fright for a second, then, seeing the absurd look on the stranger's face, burst out into uncharacteristic laughter.

"It's a good thing you can't talk," he managed between fits, "or I'd never hear the end of this."

The girl watched him in a amazement for a few minutes, then broke into silent giggles of her own.

Ariel lost her grip on her crabby chauffeur in the fray, and soon forgot about him in the tumult that followed.

Sebastian bit back a terrified yelp as he was thrown through the air, knowing that this may be his only chance to get back to the sea king. Entering into the water with a soft plop! that was easily covered by the frantic slashing in the shallows, the crab swam as fast as he could toward the royal palace.

He arrived right after the first search party was dispatched. He looked into the throne room at the troubled ruler from behind a coral pillar, fighting off trepidation. The king would not be happy with what he had to report, and neither would Ariel when she learned of his betrayal. It was entirely possible that both of them would never trust him again. He bit his protruding lower lip. But just because this wouldn't be easy-- did that make his decision any less right?

"Sebastian?" Came a shrill voice from behind him. It was the seahorse herald. The composer jumped, then turned, his exaggerated features the picture of determination. He had to tell the king the truth.

"I have urgent news." He said.

The trip back to the villa was consensual after the shirt affair and relatively uneventful.

Jim had Max fetch his crutches and, finding that his new houseguest was also a bit wobbly, lent her one. After managing to steady each other by putting one arm around the other's neck, they began the small adventure of staying aloft and walking simultaneously. In the end, it took them about thirty minutes to walk the one hundred meters to the summer home.

Immediately upon crossing the threshold, Ariel was entranced with the dwelling. It was quaint and bright, with glass French doors and lots of windows. There was a decorative fireplace surrounded by creamy leather furniture in the living room near the spacious kitchen (it was Chef Louie's villa, after all). Having finally gained her land legs, the new human excitedly examined every inch of her new abode. Max, who thought she was looking for tasty leftovers, followed eagerly behind her.

Jim shook his head at her antics, the fatigue and pain finally setting in after all that had happened. Ariel looked up from behind the couch when she heard his sharp intake of breath. She may not have known a lot about humans, but she knew by his face that he was hurting. She ran over to him and, as this was a new undertaking for her, tripped several times before reaching him.

'Are you okay?' She mouthed upon reaching him, breathless.

"Wheelchair." Jim said simply, the beaded sweat on his brow running down his face. Ariel cocked her head. Wheelchair?

"In the kitchen closet." He wheezed, "Hurry; if I fall, I may not be able to get up again." Ariel's heart panged, and she instinctively looked down at his legs. One was wrapped in damp, decaying plaster; both were shaking from exertion. She ran, in her awkward, newborn-fawn way, to the closet. The wheelchair wasn't hard to find, even with her limited knowledge. She wheeled it back to her host just in time to catch him in it. He winced on impact, closing his eyes tightly until the pain of being on his feet so long ebbed away.

When he opened his eyes again his guest was kneeling by the chair, her eyes worried and hands making all sorts of gestures that he thought were inquiries about his health, but he couldn't be sure.

"Right," he said, wheeling the chair around toward a writing desk to the left of the hearth. The sudden and fluid action of the chair startled Ariel for a moment but her curiosity soon prevailed. She walked carefully over to where Jim was rummaging through drawers, wary of any more abrupt movements. She was instantly ecstatic at the treasure trove of new objects and became so enthralled in them that she was frightened once again as he turned back to her, confiscating the envelope opener she'd found from her hands. He replaced it with a pen and pad of paper.

"Now you can write down whatever you want to say," he explained, wheeling past her toward the kitchen. When he turned about on the tile to face her again, she was already scribbling away. He allowed a half chuckle before beginning his search for breakfast. Morph reappeared to help, taking on the form of a squirrel. He almost immediately found, and spilled, a glass jar of nuts which Max pounced on upon impact with the floor. Jim ignored them both, concentrating on reading the map Louie had drawn of the kitchen. Usually, this wouldn't have been a problem; Jim was fluent in Earth's "English". It was just Jim's luck that Chef Louie... wasn't. Half of the map's captions were in French, which Jim had just barely passed. He looked over at the redhead. She was on her second page of writing. The spacer raised an eyebrow. He had assumed a mute person wouldn't have much to say.

Jim had given up on the map and joined Morph in scavenging when the girl approached him, prompting him to take the tablet with outstretched hands. Jim took it tentatively and turned it around to read.

His jaw dropped.

She hadn't had much to say... one paragraph, actually. But she didn't know what language Jim read, so the next three pages were all of her requests, repeated in eleven different languages.

Jim looked up at his houseguest in awed confusion, not even reading what she had to say.

Then, in the stunned, awkward silence, their stomachs rumbled simultaneously.

The girl giggled nervously, and Jim smiled.

"Here," he said, handing her the map. "I'll answer your questions, but first... let's make some breakfast."

"She's WHERE?!" King Triton roared, his outrage frightening even his swordfish guards from the room. Sebastian retreated halfway into his shell. "The hooman world, sire. She made a deal wit Ursoola. She's got tree days tah git dat prince to love her, or--" He couldn't finish.

Triton nodded, holding his forehead up with a large hand. "Yes...I am familiar with that witch's tricks." His knuckled whitened over his trident in remembrance.

"Where in the human world is she?"

Sebastian tapped his claws together worriedly. "I'm-- not sure sire. A hooman tha-twas not de prince found 'er, and dat's when I was able to escape 'er detec-tion. But she'll be headin' for de castle, on de coast, Your Highness." Triton nodded again. He had been floating, but now he collapsed back in his throne.

"Can--can you git 'er back, Highness?" Sebastian asked desperately. Triton raised an eyebrow.

"You're so worried, Sebastian?"

The crab shrunk back again. "Well, de sea witch took 'er voice, so I tink de odds of 'er winnin' de prince..." He slumped, his claws hitting the sand. "It's impossible, sire."

Triton thought hard. So the witch's price had been Ariel's voice. His stomach sank at the thought of his angel without a voice.

"Nothing is impossible, especially for Ariel." He said finally, half to his friend and half to himself. "Nevertheless, I must get her back before she attempts anything rash." He raised his trident, waving it in a short arch. The water where the trident passed became opaque, images racing past as the sea king searched the human world for his daughter. He finally found her, scribbling away on a strange rectangular instrument. She was also wearing some kind of foreign garment.

"You found 'er?" Sebastian asked, crawling up to the king's throne so he could see better.

Ariel finished whatever it was she was doing and hurried off-screen. Triton repositioned the view so that she was once again visible, laughing mutely at something.

"She's... laughing," Triton murmured a tad sadly. "I haven't see her laugh in... the Ocean knows how long." The sea king continued to watch his daughter despondently until Sebastian nudged him. "Sire?"

The mighty merman snapped to, then groaned in realization as he took in the rest of the scene. "Is that-- no, it can't be."

"What is it, sire?" The composer asked, fearing his princess might be in danger.

"Was that the human that found her?" Triton asked hopelessly.

"Umm, yes, Your Majesty." Sebastian answered, a bit confused.

Triton slammed his fists against the arms of his throne in frustration. "Of all the people on the PLANET to find my daughter," He exclaimed, pointing at the teenage boy on the scrying screen, "It had to be the one that I CANNOT TOUCH!"

**Yes, they finally meet! If you like this fanfic, please don't hesitate to review and fave!**

**Thank you all for your faithful reading and support!**


	5. An Eventful Day in Town

Sable stood suddenly and angrily from her desk, kicking over her wastebasket in frustration.

"Still no luck?" Eric asked, uninterested. He picked up one of the many scrapped letters, all of which were now scattered across the room.

"No!" She exclaimed redundantly. "I've been at it for two hours, and nothing I write seems like it will move him!"

"Nothing you write will move him." Eric pointed out boldly. He hated being in Florin when he could be searching for his mystery maiden, and he hated bringing his cousin along even more. Thus, he had slowly but steadily elapsed into a state of uncharacteristic cynicism. Sable ignored him.

"I should be there, taking care of him! What if he's fallen, or run out of food, or--"

"Jim can handle himself." Eric insisted, a tad harshly. He ally-ooped the wad of paper into the trash can, which was put to rights by the servants on hand. "Besides, I severely doubt that Jim would appreciate the way YOU would handle him." Sable blushed, lashing out when one of the maids had the audacity to snigger.

"None of you would understand the pressures of being royalty in love!" She cried, "Taking into account your lover's wealth and social standing, weighed against personality and looks!"

Eric rolled his eyes, but seeing how the opportunity for her to vent in a private place might not come again, let her continue; "My lover is at home, bedridden, unable to do anything for himself, and yet I was stripped from his side--"

"Your choice of words is impeccable." The prince commented under his breath.

"He must be so lonely, alone on that beach, with only a stupid dog to keep him company--" Eric tensed visibly "--and no human affection. You do not know how I yearn to be by his side in his pain, comforting him.." She heard her cousin harumph a laugh and turned on him. "But you had to go and drag me to this God-forsaken country as some kind of consort!"

"You would have only been an annoyance to Jim!" Eric erupted, jumping from the window seat to tower over the duchess. "I would have been only too glad to let you stay at home if I hadn't been convinced that nothing short of a locked cell would keep you from pestering him, no matter how much you promised!" The maids stopped snickering, and Sable stared at him in amazement as he settled back into the window seat's cushions. Noticing her stare, Eric's wrinkled brow smoothed and he relaxed again.

"If you're going to write to any man, especially Jim," he said quietly, "just tell him the truth. That you miss him, and wish he could be here. And leave out any innuendos, OK?" Sable sat down at the desk and, without another word, began to write.

Jim didn't get through Ariel's original questions (which had been about stairs and wheelchairs and how he was feeling), because she came up with a fresh set before he could answer even one.

"You're not from around here, are you?" He asked, sewing up the sail for his solar surfer. He'd answered at least twenty inquiries about the sail alone, and explained as much as he could without giving away its real purpose. The girl, whose name he'd learned was Ariel, jumped slightly then shook her head. She scribbled a bit more on her pad, which was already halfway full. It wasn't even half past ten.

'I'm a traveller from another country. Here for tres more days. Must meet the prince. Saved his la vie in storm. Need to find him before my dias are voryber. Can you assist me?' Jim's eyes widened, not even noticing her switch between languages in his shock. She was the one Eric was looking for, and she's landed right under his nose. The spacer wondered how she'd turned up naked on his beach days after saving the prince. He asked her (minus the naked bit). She chewed on the end of her pen a bit, wondering how much to disclose, before finally answering,

'I was swimming the other day when I was caught by the currents. Took all my tsuyosa to escape. Lost my voice by inhaling much sea agua.' Jim nodded slowly. This made sense... sort of. Ariel fidgeted anxiously, and he remembered her previous request. "Well," he sighed, sitting back from his sowing to stretch his arms behind his head. "The prince won't be back till the day after tomorrow." The girl's face dropped, and Jim hastened to say, "But when he gets back, I can get you in to him, whether you are this mystery girl or not." She brightened a little bit and gave him a hug that made Jim's heart jitter a bit. He ignored it, instead asking,

"Where are you going?" She gestured that she was going for a walk and made her way out the door.

Ariel managed to walk stiffly down the shore to where Flounder and Scuttle were and sit down before bursting into tears, sobbing even harder when she couldn't hear herself sob. Her friends were silent; Scuttle had overheard Ariel's conversation with Jim through and open window and told Flounder before she came out, so they both knew as well as she how doubly impossible their task had become. She had known from the beginning that the odds against her were incredible, but more than anything she wanted those precious few days with her prince to tide her through the countless years of servitude she was in for. Now that three days had been reduced to one, and she saw how stupid she'd been. She missed her sisters. She missed the familiar. She missed her Daddy.

When her back finally stopped heaving she looked up at them and smiled a small, sad smile.

"I brought a present for you." Flounder announced sheepishly, swimming as close to her as he could without beaching himself, and tossed her something that had been tucked under his right fin.

Ariel caught it clumsily, then nearly dropped it in amazement. It was the pipe with the initials on it that she'd found.

She cradled the treasure against her chest. 'But it was...' she mouthed, dumbstruck.

"I know, that's what I thought too." Flounder said, a tad excitedly. "But when I went through the grotto looking for Sebastian, it was just right there, under--"

Ariel's eyes widened and waved her arms for him to stop talking. 'What about Sebastian?" She asked frantically, grabbing her friend's fins. 'What's going on?'

"Well," Flounder flustered, "he, um, well you see, the thing is--"

"The little bugger run off!" Scuttle accused. "When we weren't lookin, I'm guessin."

The princess smacked her forehead with a palm. Sebastian doubtless went back to her father. Could the day get any worse?

"I'm sorry, Ariel." Flounder said dejectedly. "We looked everywhere, but we couldn't find him." Ariel looked as if she were going to cry again, then she reconsidered.

'If he did go back to Atlantica, and did tell my Father,' she wrote in the sand. 'Then why hasn't Daddy come to get me by now? There have been no dolphin escorts, no storms, not even a shift in the tides. Why hasn't he acted?'

"Becoz there are tings at risk dat you dont even know." Came a familiar voice from just beneath the waves.

"Sebastian!" Flounder exclaimed in surprise. "Where have you been? And how long have you been there?"

"You are right," Sebastian admitted, half ignoring the fish's question. "Ah did go bock to se sea king to tell 'im wat you are up to." Ariel frowned, and the crab continued hurriedly, "But it was only becoz ah was worried about your safety, princess."

"So is the big man comin to get her?" Asked Scuttle in his abrupt way. Flounder and Ariel leaned forward eagerly.

"There is a force at work 'ere," Sebastian said, after a pause, "Dat King Triton 'as agreed not to hinder, so he must not act. He sent me bock to make sure you didn't coz too much truble."

'What force?' Ariel mouthed, in awe of anything that could keep her father at bay.

"Ah cannot tell you. Let's just say," Sebastian mused over his next words; "Dat de boy you are staying wit is no o-dinary 'hooman'."

Morph was back into his pink form right after the door closed and wasted no time in squirming all over Jim's face. Jim chuckled, pulling the little alien away from his neck to tickle him. He wheeled to his room and uncovered the solar surfer's improvised, half-finished engine.

"Finally," he breathed, picking up his toolbox and settling down to work. As he did, seeds of doubt that he couldn't even entertain in the strange girl's presence tried to take root.

The wreck was about a week ago, right? He remembered as he worked. And all that time Eric was looking for this mystery girl. How could she have escaped his detection? He was fairly certain that many women would do anything to get the prince's romantic attentions. Ariel could very easily be a part of his expansive fan club. She was obviously a foreigner, though. Come to think of it, what exactly had happened to strand her on the beach that morning? Was it really the ridiculous yarn she'd fed him earlier? If she had saved the prince, Jim sincerely doubted that she'd be so weakened after a swim. Jim exhaled and shrugged in indifference. Well, if Eric was looking for a "mystery girl", he would be hard pressed to find anyone more mysterious-- and intoxicating-- than Ariel.

Jim looked up from his work abruptly, almost burning Morph with the welding gun.

Did he seriously just think she was intoxicating?

Fifteen minutes later Jim gave out a long sigh of ill-placed boredom. Yes, he had been looking forward to the alone time, but he couldn't keep his thoughts from wandering to his houseguest and what she was doing.

"She is quite inept," Jim said at last after a thoughtful time of sky-gazing. He sighed again, a half-hearted sigh of exasperation. He hid his tools and the engine again and turned the chair around. "Better at least see what she's up to."

Morph rolled his eyes at Jim's faux disinterest but followed, shifting into a yellow canary.

When Morph caught up with his human, Jim was at the French doors to the balcony.

"What is she doing?" He wondered aloud in fascination. A small crowd of creatures had surrounded her, and she appeared to be conversing with them. She was smiling, but even from where he sat Jim could tell she'd been crying.

"It really is important for her to get to Eric," he muttered. Morph chirruped questioningly. Jim focused his attention on the animals next. They weren't bothering her, that was apparent by her silent laughter. Was she actually talking to them, though, or was she just more insane than the spacer gave her credit for? Jim decided to go down there and ask himself, instead of relying on pointless speculation.

'What do you mean, 'not ordinary'?' Ariel wrote in the sand, her brow knit in a frown. He'd been nothing but kind since he'd found her.

"Ah alreddy told yoo," Sebastian reiterated, "Ah can't tell yoo dat. But I do want to kno," he leaned in surreptitiously. "Have you noticed any... strange tings going on in dat house?"

Ariel nodded excitedly. 'He gets around in a strange contraption he calls a "wheelchair"! They also do something he calls "drink" from "cups"! And they set their food on fire, but somehow, it ends up tasting delicious! And guess what?' Ariel gave up on writing and resorted to hand movements and mouthing. 'Jim doesn't eat fish either! He had me try an animal he calls "cow". And he's building a boat without sides that RIDES THE WAVES! He's so smart, and very kind to me. He always seems to know what I mean, and--'

"I thought the whole point 'a you coming topside was to woo the Princey." Scuttle interrupted, a bit confused. Ariel looked confused as well.

'Well,' she wrote slowly in the sand, 'He's my friend.' The princess smiled. My first human friend. She felt unnaturally warm inside and looked up in the sun. It was hot out.

"Why ont yoo lookin for dat prince?" Sebastian asked quizzically. Ariel felt cold again, and brought her knees up under her chin.

"The prince is gone." Flounder said.

"Wot?" Sebastian asked, horrified. He'd planned to help Ariel get her man, after all. Human beat Ursula's slave any day.

"He had ta go on some royal shindig." Scuttle explained. "He'll be back the day after tomorra, but that only gives sweetie here a day to snatch him."

"Den wit out your voice and being short on time," Sebastian decided, "We ah gonna need a killer plan to get dat prince."

'Jim can help!' Ariel suggested, eager to get back into the conversation.

"No!" Sebastian boomed in his low voice. "Dere is no way dat dat boy is going to be of any help. We ah betta off leaving 'im alone."

"But I already promised to help." Said a voice from behind Ariel. She whirled around to see Max and Jim. The boy's steely blue gaze was on Sebastian. "And I always follow through on a promise."

The crab didn't bother asking how the human knew the Atlantean language. It would only arise questions in the others that Sebastian and the boy weren't allowed to answer.

"What's your plan, boyo?" Scuttle asked, hopping to land on Max's head.

"First off," Jim mused, "We need to get you some proper clothes." Ariel blushed slightly, and she made a slight hand gesture.

"And I don't care if you think mine are comfortable, it's not feminine." She pouted, and he took his turn blushing. "We'll go to the market." He said hurriedly, turning away as quickly as possible. He heard her scramble and fall in the soft sand, sighed, and went back to her again.

He extended his right hand toward her and smiled.

"Come on." He helped her to her feet, and he slung that arm around her shoulders. "You need to help me up the stairs."

They made it into town at around one in the afternoon, Ariel following behind Jim as he wheeled through the bustling streets.

"Our first stop will be the local quack." He informed her, not even turning his head as he spoke. "I can't stand the pain in my leg anymore."

Ariel trailed him as dutifully as Max, but she didn't hear a word he said. She was too enthralled by her new foreign surroundings. Her nose burned with all the strong smells of steaming woks, fresh produce, and refuse. She touched everything within reach; the horses, the fruit in the stands, strands of pearls hanging in front of the jewelry stand. There were so many colors. In the ocean, everything was awash with blue, shadowed and pale from being so far from the sun. Here everything shown with its own colors, the people coming in all shapes, sizes, and colors.

She saw a bright red object charge her out of the corner of her eye. She turned and caught it just before it hit her face. It was a ball.

"Hey lady!" Said some children about ten feet away. They were all scruffy and wearing rags, but they were smiling ridiculously. "Pass us back the ball!"

Ariel laughed and obeyed, clapping when the child nearest her caught her throw.

Jim noticed she was no longer following him when he couldn't hear her footsteps and turned to tell her to hurry up. She was still with the children, only now she had joined their ring. She looked over her shoulder sheepishly as he rolled up. The kids saw their new friend's hesitation and noticed him as well. They were immediately intrigued.

"Wow Mister! That's some ride you've got there!" Said a boy, rubbing one wheel of the chair admiringly. "How fast does it go?"

"What happen to your leg?" Asked a little girl. "Does it hurt when someone pokes it?"

"Can we go fo a ride?" Inquired the youngest, finger up his nose.

"Hey!" Said the loudest of the group, presumably the leader. "Is Red your girlfriend or sum'fin, Mister?" Jim, who had been trying to prevent the other youngsters from taking possession of his wheelchair, now directed his full attention to the leader, who was still standing next to Ariel and holding her hand (much to Ariel's surprise).

"N-no!" Jim finally answered, managing to keep his face from going crimson. "She's a friend."

The leader looked back at "Red" for confirmation. Ariel nodded profusely, pointing to herself and then to the castle, which was visible from almost any point on the city streets.

"You are goin to the castle?" Asked a quiet girl, taking her thumb from her mouth to speak.

Ariel nodded again, then started making rapid hand gestures. The kids looked at Jim questioningly. His lips quirked as he translated.

"She wants to tell you a story." He wheeled over to where Ariel was now sitting on the ground. She waited for the children to situate around her before she made a sweeping motion and Jim said,

"Once upon a time..."

For the next hour Ariel drew the story in the dirt while Jim narrated. The children were enraptured, and soon passersby and venders would stop what they were doing and watch as well as the story of a hapless mermaid unfolded.

The mermaid fell in love with a human, a prince, and saved his life in a storm. Ariel described the storm itself so vividly that Jim no longer doubted that she was the one to rescue their prince. The mermaid was tricked out of her voice by a witch so that she could be with the love of her life as a human. On the surface, the mermaid's visit went horribly wrong when she heard the prince had fallen in love with another girl who claimed SHE was the one who rescued him. Not all hope was lost, however. A knight helped the mermaid expose the impostor, and the prince and the mermaid lived happily ever after.

"What about the sea witch?" Asked a shopkeeper nearby.

Ariel thought for a moment.

"The sea king killed her for tricking his daughter." Jim told their audience, startling Ariel. "Once the witch was dead, the spell was broken and mermaid's voice was returned to her."

The shopkeeper nodded and grinned.

They were applauded loudly and asked to come back the next day for a more public storytelling in the town square.

"Oh, I don't think--" is all Jim could say before Ariel laid a hand on his arm and nodded so enthusiastically he couldn't say no. "Alright," he conceded. "Now can we PLEASE go get my cast fixed now?"

They made it to the apothecary's with the five children; Jimbo, Hannah, Manda, Felix, and Runt still following them. Jimbo, the leader of the group (who had not been too pleased to learn he shared a name with Jim), made one final plead with Ariel to stay with them.

"I know we don't have much," He said, clasping one of her hands in both of his grubby ones, "but I'll get work to provide for you, and I'm sure my parents would love you!"

"You're not getting married kid," Jim said sarcastically. Jimbo shushed him hurriedly around Ariel and mouthed something like 'you don't know anything, stupid' before focusing back on her. She just shook her head for the umpteenth time and pointed in the direction of the castle.

The children all looked slightly crestfallen, but then perked up when Runt stammered,

"Well, seeya ta-mah-wo Pwincess!" And all the other kids echoed this farewell as they faded into the early evening crowd.

'Sweet children,' Ariel mouthed wistfully to herself as she motioned for Max to wait for them, then followed Jim into the shop. Jim caught the short sentence however, and smiled in reluctant agreement.

After about two hours of careful demolition then reconstruction of Jim's cast, it was almost dark. Max whined in hunger when they finally came out, and Ariel would have mimicked him if she had her voice.

"I'm starved!" Jim proclaimed for them all. He grinned. His leg felt SO much better now, and it put him in a better mood. "Come on, I know a friendly place around the corner. We can grab a bite and then go home." Ariel felt like she could eat more than a bite, but figured it was a human joke, so said nothing.

The "friendly place" in question was a bar where the sailors hung out. To be honest, Jim missed their sweaty vulgarity, and so when they entered the tavern he inhaled gratefully. Ariel was equally delighted. The smells and sights here were much more earthy, heady, and DANGEROUS than the ones in the streets. They ordered after Jim explained everything on the menu to her, and then they ordered both of Jim's favorites, on the agreement that they would share both meals. "I'm sorry we didn't get you any new clothes today," Jim said when the hostess sauntered away. "We'll get you some tomorrow, since you have to come into town again tomorrow anyway."

Ariel nodded ecstatically, then jumped as something pinched her trying to fight its way out of her pocket. She smacked her pocket in annoyance, then reached in to extract Sebastian.

"Wot was dat about?" He asked, rubbing his sore head. "Ah put up wit a whole day in dos suffocating tings and den you HIT me?" The ex-mermaid, quite over her anger by now, smiled and patted him on the head as an apology.

"You weren't in there the whole day, though, were you?" Jim pointed out. He'd asked them to check and see if Sable was anywhere around.

"De woman from your description was not among de crowd today, hooman," Sebastian reported, "but ah still do not see de point in searching for her."

"Because if any human were to try to thwart Ariel's mission, it would be Sable," Jim growled, but more at the sound of her name than at the crab.

'Who's Sable?' Ariel asked, tired of feeling out of the loop.

"Just a girl," Jim dismissed, pretending to be preoccupied with the tablecloth. Ariel wasn't buying it. She tapped Jim's forehead to regain his attention. Some hair fell into his face as his head tilted, and the girl pushed it back without thinking, stroking Jim's temple.

The spacer jerked back, catching her hand in his and pushing it away.

"Don't," he said, looking away. Ariel felt her heart drop. Had she done something insulting or wrong? They sat in awkward silence until their food arrived and the barmaid commented on how cute their pet hermit crab was. Sebastian went into an amusing rampage and the two had fun teasing him until--

"Well, if it isn't Sable's pet." A group of sailors loomed over their table, glaring at Jim.

Great, thought Jim. The one thing I didn't miss about sailing; Sable's fanboys.

One of the sailors noticed Jim's injuries. "Serves you right, boy. Should never have moved in on our woman."

Jim wanted to make a sarcastic comment about how she couldn't belong to all of them, but seeing the fright on his companion's face, decided not to risk it.

"You have nothing to worry about," he replied in a dull tone. "I was never interested. I turned her down." This did not have the desired effect.

"YOU turned down SABLE?!" They all yelled in unison, drawing the attention of everyone else in the store.

"You have no right!" Said one with an "I love Mommy" tattoo on his left shoulder and "Independence" on his right. "Go to the palace right now and apologize!"

"No way," Jim scoffed, taking a drink of his coffee with great show. "I would never apologize to that cow. And you all have no pride if you think this embarrassing display of loyalty will woo her. She used you and you're done, plain and simple." The men exploded.

The tattooed one swung Jim roughly away from the table, his wheelchair tilting precariously as he skidded across the wood floor. Even before the chair was completely on the ground Jim's assailants formed a daunting circle around him, obscuring him from view.

Having overcome her initial awe and fear of these strange, new humans, Ariel was the first to jump to the cripple's aid.

'Jim!' She tried to yell over the fray, waving her arms and trying to shimmy between the other sailors. Though Jim made no sounds of pain from within the ring, the mens' accusations and their body language told the ex-mermaid that they were hurting him. Heat rose into her face in anger, and she attacked the nearest sailor with nails and teeth, pulling at his ponytail and covering his eyes to confuse him. At this point many customers left before the fight got too serious, but others-- namely constables and sailors who knew Jim-- began to protest and help.

Ponytail caught Ariel's wrist and dragged her from his back. He growled and threw her to the floor like a sack of potatoes. He returned to his prey once satisfied that she was too spooked to try anything else. Ariel pushed the hair backed from her face to reveal a determined scowl. Every muscle in her body tensed for action.

He was wrong.

Inside the fray, Jim was doing anything he could to free himself, cursing his arrogance with each blow he received. Why had he felt it necessary to patronize them? He knew full well what they were capable of. Usually he just took their insults and a couple blows, and they went on their way. Was it because Ariel was there?

Wait, he thought hurriedly, ducking a particularly forceful swing. Why would that matter?

Most of the sailors were so drunk their hits were no more than glancing slaps, but it only took one sober man to hurt another. Jim fought back the best he could, but his fists could only reach so far, and he couldn't turn his chair sufficiently in such a small space that was made smaller as some turned around to fend off would-be rescuers.

The spacer recognized one of the fighters as Ariel. She was on the back of one of the sailors, her teeth sinking into his left shoulder. Jim watched in horror as the brute pulled her hair until she cried out in pain, pried her from him, and shoved her into a nearby booth.

Ariel doubled over in pain, leaning against a table for support. She wasn't built for fighting. She huffed and wiped blood from her lip. She wasn't even sure how to go about it. In the ocean when faced with danger you were never confrontational; survival depended on the wit of your head and the speed of your tail.

Maybe THAT was the way to win here. They needed a plan of escape, not a battle strategy.

That still left a big problem though; how to get to Jim. She must have attacked the men from every angle, but nothing Ariel did got her any closer to him.

"Aryal?" Came Sebastian's voice from her right shoulder. He looked afraid, but also disgusted and angry. Ariel smiled suddenly, her mind lighting up with an idea. She HAD been approaching this from the wrong angle! Or to be specific, wrong angle_s._

'Hey, Sebastian...?'

Jim was still recovering from his shock and fury when a bony man had the bright idea to knee their prisoner in the cast-- over and over again. The pain brought Jim back to himself... and also let him loose. He growled at the bony drunk, grabbed him by the waist, and threw him bodily into another man. Jim smirked and hoisted himself from the wheelchair into a half-standing position to punch an advancing attacker as hard as he could in the face.

"Ariel!" He yelled as the men descended on him in full force once again, "Ariel, run! I'll meet up with you at--" he was pulled down into the huddle and he had to hit a few more before continuing, "--the house! Go!"

He heard a shrill whistle

Suddenly, two of the men, one in front of Jim and one behind, yelped in pain. The one the victim could see was grabbing at his shirt, the other his buttocks. Jim, as well as the other sailors, looked around frantically for the phantom attacker as more and more of the men collapsed in pain. The sailors had halved in number, and he could see Ariel a few feet away from him, grinning like an idiot.

"What's going on?" Jim murmured under his breath.

As if in reply, Ariel whistled again and a whooping yell erupted from the sailors' ranks as Sebastian catapulted from a man's head and into Jim's lap.

"'Old on!" The crab cackled as Ariel took hold of the wheelchair. "Dis might git a bit bumpy." With a final whistle for Max to drop the man he was antagonizing, Ariel swerved the chair around to face the remaining sailors and, with a sadistic grin from both the driver and passenger, barreled through them and into the night.

Ariel kept running until they were well down the beach and she was producing her own salt water from her skin. She stopped and they all just panted for several minutes, Ariel and Max collapsing in a heap on the wet sand.

Jim looked down at them all thoughtfully for a moment.

Then his face cracked a smile, he chuckled, and he finally let out a full-out laugh.

"Look at us!" He eventually managed through waves of hysteria, "An apprenticed sailor, prince's dog, talking crab, and a crazy foreigner fresh out of a bar fight." He guffawed again, clutching a now-aching side.

Ariel was a bit confused; Jim was hurt, that much was evident. His face was bruised and his knuckles swollen, yet he smiled, even laughed, which she'd never heard him do before. He was happy. Jim noticed her staring.

"What is it?" He asked, thinking that the events of the night may have put her into shock.

'I like your laugh, it sounds nice,' she explained.

The young man coughed to have an excuse to cover his blush. "We should, ah, get back to the villa," he said gruffly, wheeling away. Ariel scrambled to her feet and caught up with him in a few strides. They walked in silence for a while, and then Jim said,

"That was a nice story you told earlier. Clever, telling your story in the form of a fairytale."

Ariel nodded in gratification, smiling at the memory. The humans were interested in the merpeople and their welfare. Many had told her so after her tale had been completed that afternoon. Maybe there was hope for them yet. She looked over at Jim; he seemed nervous about something. He caught her looking at him and gulped.

"In your story," he asked abruptly, "was I-- your knight?"

Ariel's smile turned into a grin and she felt her heart flutter a little. She nodded.

'In shining armor.'


	6. Plots and Preparation The Second Day

**Review if you are very impressed or have critiques!**

When they arrived back at the house, Jim's houseguest insisted that she would not go to bed until she had treated his wounds. Jim soon learned she had no idea how to do this, so he had to walk her through it, step-by-step (she wouldn't allow him to do it himself, to which he'd protested "Who's taking care of who around here?").

'So... who's Sable?' Ariel asked after a few minutes of instruction.

Jim thought about writing off the question. He really didn't like the subject of Sable, and told his guest so. But then he remembered how valiantly the girl had fought that night and that look of hers disarmed him somehow, and he caved.

"She's a girl... the prince's cousin," he added, as an afterthought. Ariel perked up at that aspect. "Anyway, she has a thing for me, I suppose-- no, fold the poultice to _this_ side-- but that's only because I want nothing to do with her. She's a real pain, and persistent to boot. I've been trying to get rid of her since I arrived here two weeks ago, and these past couple days have been the first that she's detached herself from me."

Ariel considered this for a moment. It was hard to believe that a girl like THAT could be related to her perfect prince. Another thought struck her; one she couldn't shake for some reason.

'You have no feelings for her?' The redhead asked, pretending to be disinterested.

"I have strong feelings of distaste, yes," Jim said, leaning back in his chair, but keeping his arm outstretched so that his nurse could tend to his swollen knuckles. "But as for romantically? Heck, no! I've sworn off women." As soon as he said the last statement, for some reason Jim wished he could take it back.

If Ariel had been bothered by it at all, she only showed it with a small crease between her eyebrows, which promptly vanished as she finished her work on his hand and presented it to him.

That's right, Jim thought, as he applied the poultice to his aching shoulder. She's here for Eric, not me. Which caused Jim to grow a forehead crease of his own.

******

_ Ariel was in a large, black room riddled with purple dots, evil laughter ringing in her ears. "Your voice!" It triumphed, "I have your voice! Now I can star in the opera of my choice!" Ariel tried to call out to Ursula, for that's who it was, and demand an explanation for such treachery. But before she could, Eric's stone statue, minus a face, fell from nowhere, shattering the floor and dropping Ariel into the abyss below. She grabbed out for the statue, 'Save me, Eric!' She cried, but there was no reply. After a while it didn't even feel like she was falling anymore; just hovering alone in a bleak nothingness. And then, "Ariel? Is that you?" A window opened in the black and there was Jim, waving frantically above a hoard of tattooed and hairy beasts. They looked vaguely familiar, but their claws and spiked bodies prevented her from identifying them. "Ariel, wait right there! I'll come to you!" Jim reassured, but no matter what he said, he couldn't pull free of the beasts' grip. Ariel hoisted herself through the window and landed on the floor with an awkward flop. She looked down. A long, sleek tail was in the place of where her legs should have been. Oh no, she thought frantically, looking past Sebastian in bunny ears and holding a large gold watch to find a good hiding place. I can't let them see me, discover the merfolk. No, she realized. I don't want Jim to see me this way, to know that I-- I lied to him. "It's OK," Jim chuckled, finally extricating himself from his bloodthirsty attackers and landing beside her. The sun was setting behind him, which strangely made her all the more afraid. "I don't have legs, either." And indeed, when Ariel looked down, he didn't have legs at all._

Ariel woke with a silent scream and without a moment's hesitation pulled herself from the bed and sprinted down the hall. She slammed into several walls as she went, her terror throwing her even more off balance. Max, who'd been sleeping at the end of her bed, was awoken by her "outburst" and followed excitedly, wondering what all the hubbub was about.

She threw open the door to Jim's bedroom so hard it slammed against the wall. Jim woke up with a yell of "It's a supernova!" before noticing who had disturbed him.

"Ariel?" He asked, sleep heavy in his voice, "what--"

The girl approached the bed at a determined, brisk pace and ripped the covers from the bed to show-- Jim's two injured, but still attached, legs. Her nightmare proved to be just that, a nightmare. She laughed hysterically for a moment, then collapsed onto the sheets in tears.

"Whoa," Jim breathed nervously, wondering what to do. He hadn't seen her so scared since he first met her. and he'd NEVER seen her so out of control. "What's going on here? Did something happen to you?" Her shoulders only continued to shake, and Jim had a strange urge to hold her close to him. He shook his head. What?

He patted her shoulder hesitantly instead, whispering, "There there."

Suddenly Ariel hurled herself at him, her fingernails digging into the back of his nightshirt as sobs continued to rack her body. She was mouthing something at top speed, but he couldn't see her face while it was buried in his shoulder. Jim blushed as he realized other, more trivial and embarrassing things about their situation. He noticed how soft her hair was as it fell over his hands which were now on her back, holding her up. He noticed how pale her skin was in the moonlight and her smell; like flower petals on breaking waves. He also realized how her nightshirt was soaked through with sweat. He leaned over to turn on the lamp on the nightstand.

"You've had a nightmare," he mused aloud. Ariel nodded profusely, gripping his arms, as he now held her at arm's length.

'There was a dark room and a statue that wouldn't help me and you were being attacked by monsters and I was a-- Sebastian had ears and Ursula-- and you had no legs-- I am so scared!' She shrugged his hands from her shoulders and pulling him to her again. Jim blushed profusely over the girl's shoulder, but didn't push away (later he would wonder why that was).

Ariel suddenly realized the awkwardness of there situation and pushed him away again, pulling herself into a cross-legged position with her hands in her lap.

'Can-- can I sleep in your bed with you?' She asked meekly, avoiding his eyes. 'I don't-- I can't...'

Jim rolled his eyes and sighed. Did they not have such a thing as _innuendo_ where this girl came from?

'Please,' she begged, sensing his indecision. 'I want to make sure nothing happens to you!' Jim wondered how his blush could possibly get any redder. Really, this was all too much. Still, she looked so terrified, and she was giving him that look again...

"Fine," he growled. "But Max sleeps between us. Get up here, Max." The dog didn't need to be asked twice, and the girl was put at ease, mouthing a thank-you as she wriggled down into the covers.

"Yeah. yeah," Jim mumbled, "Good night."

Jim couldn't sleep. Ever since Ariel had come into his life, he didn't know what to think of her. Could he trust her? No; she had probably almost certainly lied to him about how she ended up on his beach. And yes, he could trust her; she's saved him in the bar. He could trust her with his life. He had intended her to be a sort of project to keep him occupied, but he ended up being swept up in her wake. And he didn't mind. He acted strange around her, that was certain. Adolescent and nervous. But then Jim remembered; it didn't matter how he felt about her. She was bent on being with Eric, and Jim was certain that she was the "mystery maiden" that he was after. She'd have no problem snagging the prince. She'd had no problem snagging _him_. For, as much as Jim hated to admit it, he knew that he was attracted to the girl sleeping only a few feet away.

Not in love, but maybe, just maybe, he was willing to be.

Could he compete with a prince?

Very hesitantly, Jim reached across the sheepdog and swept the thick red bangs back from Ariel's face, absently stroking her temple. The teenage girl didn't pull back like he had, but smiled discreetly in her sleep.

That's right, Jim recalled. She dreamt about ME.

After that, he was able to fall asleep.

******

Triton was in a panic, pacing the throne room restlessly. His baby girl was in the human world, and not only that, but she'd fallen in love with-- the _alien_! The sea king didn't know how it could get any worse. He ran a shaky hand through his beard. He'd known about the other-worldly boy, of course. The Academy had to ask his permission before their students could train on Earth, and they had been using Earth as a training ground for decades. But this... he didn't know if he could allow it again after this. If he knew Ariel, she'd want to go with her newfound love into space...

If she even knows what he is. Triton's eyebrows rose, hope returning. He turned back to the scrying screen which he'd kept running since his disturbing realization. He'd watched as Ariel told her story to the humans, fought in a bar fight, and ultimately ended up in the boy's bed after a nightmare. Quite a busy first day. But at no time had there seemed to have been a conversation between them which revealed their true identities. Aside from the Ursula situation, maybe there was hope of saving his daughter yet.

Triton gripped his trident tighter and ground his molars.

That's right. The Ursula situation.

Ursula was having the time of her life. She'd conjured multiple scrying bubbles which allowed her to keep an eye on Ariel, her host, and her prince.

"In HD and surround sound," Ursula commented to herself, snatching another shrimp from their dish. The sun rose in the bubble displaying Jim's room, the sun's rays splaying across the bed.

"Finally," she giggled, settling farther down in her stone chair, "the game begins-- again." Flotsam and Jetsam hissed excitedly until she shushed them.

Right as the sun hit his face Jim got up, dressed in the restroom, and moved to another room that he seemed to have set apart for a special purpose. The day before the sea witch had spared no screen time for the boy, instead following Ariel's every move like a hunting shark.

Ursula had had much fun the day before, celebrating in the budding romance between the mermaid princess and a boy that was definitely _not _the prince. That would make things interesting. Knowing the noble princess, she would choose the one she loved over the smart choice, and Ursula's victory would be all too easy.

But now since Ariel was still sleeping, Ursula's camera of sorts followed Jim into his back room where he began to tinker and build upon a technology advanced even by human standards. The sea witch gasped. She'd heard the rumors, but...

"A SPACER?" She whispered, not believing her own eyes. But then he was joined by a canary that shape-shifted into a pink blob, and there was no doubt. A sinister smile cracked Ursula's face to expose her incisors.

Why go for the ocean? She asked, grasping Jim's image in the bubble and crushing it, When you could have the galaxy?

*******

Sable was having a bad day. The food in Florin tasted funny, no one appreciated her humor (didn't they know who she _was_?), and the service was terrible, too. She had to blow her whistle at least _twice_ before a maid came running. It was only nine thirty AM.

The boys in this kingdom were a far cry from the buff men of her homeland, too. The duchess rubbed her gold whistle broodingly.

To top it all off, the maid she'd sent to keep an eye on Jim still hadn't reported back yet.

In the end Sable had not been able to send her letter to Jim. She hadn't been able to ask questions about his health and such like Eric had suggested. Wasn't SHE the only one who mattered in this relationship? So she'd given up altogether.

She wished she could have, though. Even though the guys in Florin were all too eager, they all seemed dull compared to the elusive Jim Hawkins.

Sable couldn't stand being indoors anymore. She'd stayed inside on Eric's orders (he thought she'd get in trouble if let loose or something), but enough was enough. Sneaking past her two maids/wardens playing chess, Sable slipped out onto a deck and down the stairs to the beach without a sound.

The waves broke against the rocks, flowers bloomed, and the birds twittered cheerily from the lush trees. But Sable didn't notice any of this calming beauty; she could only think of Jim. Why didn't he fall over his feet for her like the other sailors did? He didn't look any different from them, wasn't any more wealthy, and was without ANY social standing... yet he had so much self-respect. It was unexplainable and disgusting. Like he was from another planet.

Sable kicked a hermit crab from her path. Why HADN'T that maid reported in yet? It had been a couple days since she'd left; she should have gotten at least one report from her, even if it was to say that he'd not left his house all day. At least she'd know he wasn't cheating on her. She kicked another crab, just for fun. Then it dawned on her.

If I, the duchess, have to have such a commoner, think of how badly other common wenches would want to get their-- wenchy fingers on him! That little beggar might be flirting with him right now! Sable's eyes teared up at the very thought of such treachery.

"Get away from my man!" She yelled into the waves as if her servant could hear, picking up a rock and throwing it into the ocean. "Keep far away, witch, or I swear I'll kill you!"

"I like your spunk," said a captivating voice from behind the angry noble, "but witches aren't all THAT bad."

Sable tensed, then turned slowly to meet her visitor, a look of incredulity knit into her brow. The tall woman tossed long, dark tresses over one shoulder dramatically, and her mouth curled up in a way that Sable didn't necessarily like.

"My name's Vanessa," she said fluidly, holding out a hand. "And I believe we have important business to discuss."

"What business could we possibly have?" Sable asked shakily. She looked at the outstretched hand and folded her arms against it. "I don't recall MEETING you, much less agreeing to talk BUSINESS." Sable sneered at the last word. This stranger was lying. Any work-related relationship she would have shunned.

"You're right, we haven't met." Vanessa said, lowering her hand but still smiling. "Though I have some information you may be very interested in; information that maid of yours WON'T be bringing."

Sable was intrigued now, but pretended not to be. "What kind of information?"

"In a word," the older woman said slowly, "Hawkins."

With that one name, Sable was sold; hook, line, and sinker.

"What about him?" Sable asked, and then added suspiciously, "And why won't my maid be telling me any of this?"

"That's beside the point!" Vanessa almost snapped. "The problem is, in your absence, Jim has moved on. There are rumors in the marketplace that a girl is staying with him... at his house." Sable gasped and almost folded onto the sand but didn't because that would ruin her dress.

"Who?!" The duchess demanded. Vanessa only shrugged, her smile now nearly a smirk.

Sable didn't like this woman very much. She seemed to be feeding off her distress. But she had to know.

"No one knows who she is or where she comes from, only that she is very beautiful, and apparently a gifted storyteller." The tall brunette shrugged indifferently. "She and Jim are desperately in love, however, and she is going to meet with your cousin, the prince, the day you return to transfer her citizenship."

Sable actually growled. No one moved in on her prey. "You said 'business'. What, do you want me to pay you for this worthless information?"

"Oh no, Duchess," Vanessa insisted. "My only wish is to help you. The girl's time in your land expires at sunset tomorrow. Keep her away from Eric until the end of that day and poof! She's taken home and you have Hawkins all to yourself again!"

Sable tapped her chin. It sounded like a good plan, except; "If I know Jim, he'll follow the girl, especially if she's got him as brainwashed as you suggest. Then what?"

"Then it's not my problem," Vanessa said, a bit annoyed.

"And what part of this _was_ your problem?" Sable shot back.

Vanessa raised an eyebrow. This girl was good. "Fine," the woman conceded, her beautiful voice once again amiable. "After the lover leaves, I'll personally send you and your dear Jim to an island paradise where no one can find you until you so choose it. How's that?"

That was extremely tempting, especially to a controlling and desperate Sable.

"Can you do that?" She asked, eyes as big as saucers.

Vanessa chuckled almost diabolically. "Honey, I'm a witch," she raised her arms with a flourish, "I can do anything."

******

Ariel woke alone in the big bed and, feeling the initial lightheadedness that comes with waking, immediately buried herself under the covers again. She inhaled their scent and sighed, feeling wholly content.

In that moment she felt completely at home, like she always slept in this bed and lived in this house with her loved ones; like she belonged there. Then the light and heat of the sun reached her and she remembered; tomorrow was the big day.

She padded back to her room and changed, still groggy and not recalling all that had happened the night before, and went in search of Jim.

She saw the light on in his study and, after knocking first like he had instructed, entered. He was polishing the board for the wave rider, the one she'd hid behind the day he'd found her-- was it only a day ago?

After smiling at him and receiving one in return, Ariel went to the kitchen to grab an apple and make what was called "coffee" for Jim. He seemed particularly attached to it, and it was the first thing he taught her to make. She located everything with ease, and even remembered to rap twice on the closet door before even attempting to open it. Once again Ariel felt a feeling of familiarity sweep over her. This was quickly dispelled, however, by the fact that this wasn't even Jim's dwelling, but was being rented out to him. Still, she was excited that she was taking to humans' everyday activities so easily.

"Thank you," Jim mumbled when she set a hot cup next to him, once again enthralled in what he was doing. She watched him for a moment, wondered if he was troubled. He usually invited her to sit with him. He loved telling her about sailing and how everything worked-- Ariel waved the thought away and went down to talk to her friends. If something WAS bothering him, it probably didn't concern her.

When she got to the beach, her marine friends were already waiting for her. She gave Flounder a big hug; she hadn't seen him much lately, and she missed having him as a confidant.

"I've missed you too, Ariel." He told her sheepishly as she placed him back in the water.

"Hiya, shweetie!" Scuttle cawed. "How goes land life?"

She just shrugged, but her beaming face gave it away. She was loving it. The food, the colors, the smells, the people-- one in particular. Ariel assumed that the face to come to mind with the last thought would be Eric's, but she found that she could not conjure it. Ariel frowned, propping her chin up with her hands to think. Why couldn't she remember his face?

Jim sighed and sat back once Ariel had left the room. Tomorrow was the big day, and he had come to a conclusion.

This wasn't his fight. Ariel loved the prince, and Eric appeared to love her. Getting in the way of their combined happiness for his own was selfish. Jim smirked mirthlessly, swiping a hand through his hair in barely contained frustration.

She seemed happy when she was with _him_ though. If Ariel didn't ask him about the prince at least seven times a day, Jim would have gone for it. To the Black Hole with the consequences. Jim closed his eyes. Why couldn't two friends who were happy as friends not be happy as more?

Morph cooed worriedly, jerking the spacer from his revelry. He petted the little creature and sported a real smile.

"I'm OK, boy," he assured the shape-shifter. "It's not as if I know her really well anyway." Morph chirruped, not convinced. Jim chuckled. "True love? Come on, Morph," he joked half-heartedly, hefting the creature onto his shoulder. "You know there's no such thing." He turned back to the board he'd been polishing and, picking up a screwdriver, chipped two notches in the wood. He'd stopped counting the days on this wretched planet since the accident. Time to start again.

Ariel was thoroughly disturbed by her inability to recall Eric's face, and so thus avoided Jim for the most part of the morning (which wasn't so hard, since he was in his workshop). Instead, she tried to remember her prince's smile, or the shape of his face. She knew his basic features from what Scuttle and Sebastian could recall, but she couldn't conjure any of it on her own.

"Impossible chile'," Sebastian said sullenly as they watched her pace. "She wanted 'elp wooing de prince, an now after only two days on land she 'as forgotten 'im." He retreated half way into his shell. "True love mus' have changed definitions since ah was a youngster."

'What do you mean by that?' She stopped and stared at him. Sebastian blanched, but then noticed that she didn't look offended or angry, only confused.

"Well," he began slowly. "True love isn't usually based off of a life or death experience, but from fren-ship and affection." Ariel sat down in front of him and Sebastian, emboldened, continued.

"Love is based on passion and attraction at first, of coss. But true love, de stuff dat lasts a life-time, 'as both passion an pay-shonce, lust an long-suffering. The man yoo will love will be able to put up wit yoo at your wost, an yoo him. Yoo wud protect ech otha. Make shoe-ah your love for de prince is like dat before yoo marry him." Ariel stared at her lap for a moment, then wrote in the sand;

'What if the prince doesn't meet these requirements?' After a pause, 'What if someone else does?'

Sebastian thought about this for a moment. If it wasn't the prince, Ursula would have the princess for all eternity. And if the "someone else" was who he THOUGHT it was...

"Follow your 'art, Aryal." He finally said. "An do wot's RIGHT."

"And... finished!" Jim said joyfully, pressing down on the solar surfer's release button to unfurl a beautiful fire-orange sail. Jim had redesigned the contraption for the purpose of surfing the waves and not the sky, since the atmosphere of Earth was too heavy for the surfer to fly on its own, no matter the horsepower. The engine Jim had built (then reconfigured) allowed it to at least hover, however, and it was also able to operate in water. The young inventor smiled proudly as he stroked the hand-stitched fabric, tracing down the mast to the circuit-work embedded into the soft, light wood. It was a graceful instrument. A little crude, but sturdy and aerodynamic to a fault. A wonder of this world. To say Jim was a little smug is an understatement.

He had planned the craft to accommodate his cast and wanted to try it out right then, but couldn't ride it in broad daylight and risk anyone seeing.

Tonight I'll try her out. He thought and couldn't help sighing to himself, "Freedom."

"How did they find out where I lived?" Jim asked, slightly annoyed but also relieved.

He and Ariel had been eating a light lunch before heading to town, but the girl had been eerily silent for a mute. She hadn't asked a question, made an irrational remark, or even smiled. She just stared at her plate like it was staring back at her. Just as Jim was going to ask what was wrong. a barrage of knocks came from the front door. Jim used his crutches to cross the room and looked through the peep hole. He started; it was Jimbo and his band of brats.

He let them in, and they all stampeded past him to where Ariel sat forlornly.

"Why haven't you come ta see us yet?" Jimbo demanded, taking her hand. Ariel smiled, also grateful of the distraction.

"We were going to--" the host began to explain, but Jimbo cut him off.

"Did I ask you?" He snapped smartly, and the others giggled. Ariel frowned. She tapped the cherry wood tabletop to silence them.

'Don't treat him that way.' She ordered. Jimbo frowned back at her, but said nothing. Jim stood speechless, his brain only half comprehending what was going on. He hadn't pegged Ariel as the confrontational type, much less on his behalf. But she'd done it twice now.

It was quite a blow to his pride that he'd done nothing in return.

'Shall we go?' Ariel asked, rising to her feet. She didn't look at the children (she was still angry with them), but she didn't look directly at Jim either.

"Yeah..." The spacer's forehead creased slightly. What was going on?

They arrived at the well in the town square about an hour later, and a gathering was already waiting for them. Jim was nervous; he'd never been good with crowds. And Ariel's cold attitude this morning toward everything concerned him. But when Ariel saw the crowd of humans eager to hear her stories she brightened considerably and gave them all a huge grin as they parted to let them through. After Jim showed Ariel how to use the blackboard the school teacher had brought for her to use, she began.

'That was amazing!' Ariel squealed as they made their way through the hustle and bustle to the dress shop one of their listeners had recommended. 'Who knew hu-- the people of this country were so sensitive toward our-- the merfolks' needs!'

"You talk about them as if they were real," Jim chuckled, wheeling fast to keep up with her enthusiasm. Sebastian pinched Ariel hard in the leg from his place in her pocket, reminding her to be more careful of what she "said". Before Ariel could respond, he continued,

"But I have to say, you outdid yourself. The characters were very relatable, even though they were merpeople, and the imagery was amazing. Like I was really there." The redhead couldn't help beaming. "It was lacking in one aspect, though..." Jim mused, slowing down as he stroked his chin.

Ariel slowed as well, looking at him quizzically. 'What?'

"A _resolution_. Yes, the war between the two opposing underwater cities had a peaceful and satisfying ending, true, but the conflict which started it all, the princess who could not choose between the prince of the opposing city and the pauper from her own, was not resolved!" Jim watched her intently. "So, how did it end?"

Ariel blushed violently, then narrowed her eyes at him. 'If I remember correctly, you finished that particular part of the story for me.' Jim laughed.

"True, true. But I was a bit prejudiced when I told them that you-- she, I mean-- chose the pauper after the prince confessed his love for the mermaid working in the convent."

'Prejudiced?' Ariel wondered. 'What do you mean?'

Jim refused to blush, instead he leveled his steely gaze on her watery one. "I asked you a question first."

Ariel looked back for a moment, then turned away and shrugged. 'I don't know how it ends. I mean, the prince was perfect. He was kind and just and handsome. But the "pauper", as you called him, was-- REAL.' She shrugged again, her head turned so that Jim couldn't see her face. 'Does every story HAVE to have an ending?'

The spacer rubbed his neck thoughtfully, but said nothing.

Sebastian broke the silence.

"So," he asked in his deep baritone, "Where ah we going to next?"

The French shopkeeper at the local tailor's recognized them immediately.

"You are ze two storee-tellers from ze market-plaze!" She squealed, taking hold of Ariel's hands in her large, soft ones. "My cheel-dran love your storees! My dau-taer even wants to be a mare-maid when she grows up!" She smiled sweetly, leading Ariel back to where the dresses were hanging.

"You are heer for a dress, are you not?" She turned Jim, who was looking over a black leather coat, with a scandalous glint in her eye. "It is obvee-ous that zeez clothes are not a ladee's."

Jim frowned slightly. "It's not like that." He said sternly. "She needs a dress because she's going to go see the prince tomorrow." The storekeeper nearly shrieked in delight; this was better than a scandal.

"I have ze perfect sing for you, darleen!" She cooed, rushing into the back.

Ariel stroked the delicate fabrics in awe. Nothing this fine would last underwater, 'which is a shame' she mused. At the end of rack, hidden by the rest, was a sleeveless, light blue gown. It was of simple design, streamed to fit the body, but made of a stretchy, durable material to allow the wearer to move about (namely, dance). She gasped, taking it off of the rack to press it to her body. It seemed to sparkle from beneath the seams, even in the dim room. She spun around, giggling as the cloth brushed her bare calves. Jim pretended not to see, wheeling behind a shelf of boots before allowing himself to smile.

"I have eet!"

Ariel hurriedly returned the shimmery gown before the shopkeeper came out with another. This one was a rose pink with puffy shoulders and a low neckline. Jim leaned around the shelf to see what the woman had chosen, then quickly hid himself again so the vender wouldn't think to suggest something for him to match. As Ariel graciously accepted the gaudy dress and was ushered into a small room to change, Jim wheeled around the shelves to the dresses rack, opposite to the side where Ariel had been earlier. He tugged the side of the blue gown thoughtfully.

Ariel knocked on the wall a few minutes later to signal that she had changed. Jim immediately went to meet her, then stopped short. The dress was still as prissy and ridiculous as ever, but somehow Ariel wearing it made that OK. What's more, it fit her like a glove, hugging just the right curves and gliding gracefully in long folds over her legs. She had retained her innocence, but still looked like she belonged in a court. Like she belonged in a fairy tale.

With a prince.

Jim's face fell at the notion, the shopkeeper's praise not reaching his deaf ears.

Ariel was getting dressed up for the prince, not him. She loved Eric, not him. She was LEAVING him. Even though he had seen it coming, it was like his father all over again. Knowing there must be a look of horror on his face, Jim wheeled around, silently laying the due on the countertop and leaving the store, jingling the bell over the door.

**And that's the end of the sixth chapter!**

**Thank you all for reading this fanfic. I love this couple, and am so happy when people are drawn to them through my writing. Now, to clear up some things:**

**~ In this fic, Jim is 17. He's been in the Academy for a couple years, so he's aged (obviously). Personally, I think in the movie he was closer to seventeen, since in the beginning as a child he was missing a tooth, but meh. Most people think he's 15, so that's what I went off of.**

**~ Prince Eric is neither love rival or villain in this tale. When I look at the film, I see that, to start out with, Eric is only basing his determination to marry his mystery girl on her beauty and life saving abilities. It's not until he gets to know her that he falls for her. Here, he does not get his 3 days, and so I paint him as a valiant prince trying to pay back the woman who saved his life in the best way he knows how.**

**~ This is a what if fanfic, so I am allowed to break the rules. So there. :D**

**But really, I appreciate all of the reviews (good and skeptical), and respect those who can calmly tell me they do not prefer the pairing. I'm just glad that they read it. XD**


	7. Making Up and Going Out

Jim rolled slowly down the street, beating himself up with each rotation of the wheels. He had decided not to chase after her. He had _decided_ to be cool and compliant. Ariel could choose what was best for her...

_But what about what's best for me?_ Jim shot back viciously. If his voice of reason had been a real person, it would have recoiled. _When does that come into the equation? Do I just look on without trying? What if I'm better for her?_

The spacer shook his head. But he wasn't. He didn't belong on Earth, much less in this country. She would be happier here, with a life a prince had to offer. Then why did his heart hurt so much? Tears slid unbidden down his face and he wiped them away indignantly. This was childish. Crying over an almost complete stranger.

So what was he going to do now? Ariel was going to want an explanation for his running out. That was easy enough... if he could face her again. Jim had always been one to see the hope in every situation, but unless Ariel showed some hint of returning his affections, he didn't know if he could-- Suddenly, pink arms encircled his neck and closed in a vice-like grip, stopping Jim in his tracks. He felt something press into his shoulder and hair brush his ear.

"A-Ariel?" He stuttered, raising a hand to pat her head. "A-Are you OK?" She shook her head into his shoulder and grabbed the hand on her hair, seizing the wrist with her left hand and scribbling into it with her right;

'Is the dress ugly? Am I ugly?'

Jim frowned. Wasn't she only asking him this because she was concerned what Eric would think? Then he felt her tears soak through her shirt, and his heart panged. He knew that wasn't the case.

'You're angry with me, aren't you?' Her hands shook as she wrote. Jim shook his head in answer, cursing himself silently.

He had been too harsh to leave her like that. Besides, they only had a short time left together; at least, in this happy way. He shouldn't taint it with jealousy.

"How could anyone--hate that dress--" he began, his mouth dry, "When you are in it?" He felt her smile into the fabric of his shirt, and he couldn't suppress a small one of his own.

'I like you, too.' She replied, though he couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic.

"Aryal!" Sebastian cried abruptly. Jim wanted to growl at him for ruining the mood. "Yoo ah still in de gown fo de Prince! Yoo shud go back an' change!" Ariel nodded reluctantly and released Jim. She looked uncertainly at the men's clothes she'd dropped on the ground.

"Oh, I got it covered!" Jim remembered, unhooking a large bag from the back of his chair. "That dress is well and good," he handed the sack to his companion, "but this one suits you better."

Ariel looked in the bag, gasped, and shot Jim a smile that made his heart thump so loud he thought she _must_ have heard it.

It was the light blue dress that she'd been fawning over in the shop.

The girl ran back toward toward the shop to switch, and her friend trailed contentedly behind.

"Dis cont last, yoo know." Sebastian suddenly said from Jim's left armrest.

The spacer didn't attempt ignorance. "I know. And I know she deserves better than me." He finally looked down at his crustacean companion, smiling wanly. "Can't I spoil her and enjoy it while I can?" Sebastian squinted suspiciously at him.

"You're not trying to convince her to stay here?"

Jim looked away. "Won't she be staying here anyway?"

The crab softened in that instant. Jim genuinely loved Ariel, whether he knew it himself or not. Now DAT is true love, he thought remorsefully. Sacrifice fo de sake of anudder. Maybe, if he had been a merman-- but Sebastian knew that even then, Ariel would have chosen the most impossible and romantic candidate. The composer concluded this thought with a roll of his large eyes. Seriously, that girl never considered how her actions-- he looked at Jim and sighed-- affected the people around her.

They sat in silence for a few moments and Jim stayed as stoic as ever, his eyes only barely giving away his disappointment. Finally, Sebastian couldn't take it anymore.

"It's not becuz she doesn't _like_ yoo, boy." He said abruptly. "It's a--um-- contract, if yoo will, betwin de too royal families of our countries. Aryal feels obligated to fulfill de--uhh-- contract, and.. well, yoo know how she is."

Jim nodded, though he was thoroughly confused. Sebastian saw the skepticism on the human's face. "Yoo can ask Aryal if yoo don't believe me!" He reassured, "She has bin told of de prince fo so long she can see no one else as a husband, but yoo--" He tapped Jim's arm with a claw.

"She _cares_ about you, and notices your feelings. She's not done dat for anyone be'fo."

Jim's face changed from stoic to blank.

"She-- notices--" He looked at the door of the shop through which she had disappeared. Sebastian chuckled throatily, but said nothing. He really shouldn't have encouraged him in the first place.

Jim continued to stare at the door, silent and brooding, until she emerged. And then she did emerge. If Jim hadn't been sitting down, he would have gone weak in the knees.

The dress shone in the evening light, throwing orange rainbows off the blue fabric. The blue contrasted delicately against her skin and the dress swished contentedly at her shins. What was most radiant about her, though, was the huge grin on her face.

_Do girls only look that way when they're receiving presents?_ He wanted to smirk, but his mouth wouldn't work that way.

She was the picture of innocence and beauty at the same time, effecting Jim ten times stronger than the pink gown dangling from the hanger at her side. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do, but he knew it wasn't possible while confined to the wheelchair. But that was OK. He was content to gaze at her.

'I'm hungry,' Ariel said finally, and Jim jumped. She was now only a yard away from him. When had she gotten so close?

She noticed the bewildered look on her face and smiled again. 'To the tavern again?' She asked, slinging the gown over her shoulder, reminding Jim of a gunslinger returning to his territory. He laughed, finally, and Ariel breathed a sigh of relief.

"No," he said breathlessly, "we're not going to the tavern. Especially with you in that gown."

Ariel shot him a questioning glance, and he smiled wider.

"I know a place. I think you'll like it."

'Why'd you have to pick a place so far away?' Ariel mock whined, though she leaned heavily on Max's head in exhaustion. The dog only licked her dress happily.

"We're almost there," Jim said, pointing to something resembling a cave ahead, only there was a warm light coming from the inside. It was dusk when they arrived at the restaurant, and by that time both were almost doubled over with hunger.

The sight of the place, however, temporarily pushed away Ariel's discomfort.

'Oh wow!'

Though she was mute, Jim could hear her sharp intake of breath and smiled, satisfied.

The restaurant _was_ inside a cave, past a veil of vines, but the inside had been fitted with a fully functional kitchen and filled with little booths. A band played whimsical tunes airily from the corner, and the food smelled wonderful. What was most extraordinary about the little cafe was the lighting. There was only one lamp in the restaurant. in the center on a mirrored podium, but light filled the room, reflected by quartz crystals that grew from the walls and ceiling. The whole ensemble surrounded a small inlet of water, the reflections off of it making the entire place seem to be underwater.

'What... is this place?' Ariel gasped.

"It's called 'The Blue Lagoon'," Jim smiled, noticing how the light made her dress shine. "Do you like it?"

'Like it?' She asked, smiling and tearing up at the same time. The cave reminded her of her grotto under the sea, a place she found herself missing. 'It's wonderful!'

Jim was glad that she was pleased, though he didn't understand the tears. Maybe she was just tired. The chef noticed them first and hurried over, shaking Jim's hand ecstatically.

"Jim Hawkins!" The tall blond man enthused, pulling the sailor into a hug, whether the cripple wanted it or not. Ariel just stared, a little perturbed and a lot confused, her homesickness forgotten.

"I haven't seen you in _ages_!" The hyperactive cook exclaimed, eventually releasing him. "With all the training you've been having and such, and then that _horrid wreck_-- I didn't think you'd be around these parts until your leg healed up. It's been _so long_ since you got lost and stumbled across my humble abode your first day in town." The man actually giggled, causing Ariel to jump slightly. She didn't think men could _make_ that sound! The chef bounded into the conversation once again without letting either of the guests get in a word edgewise. "I was SO worried when I heard about the shipwreck, it was all over town. Speaking of which-- how've you been? How's training? How's your leg?" He finally noticed Ariel and his eyebrows shot up. "Who's _this_?"

"OK, on hold, healing, Ariel." Jim said offhandedly, though he was sporting a small smile. "How are you, Gordon?"

"Oh, you know, same old same old." The blond smiled, flashing perfect teeth. "The usual table, on the water?" He asked, finally all business.

"Yes," Jim sighed, relieved.

"This way." Jim followed dutifully behind his friend, though he waited for Ariel to send Max outside and return to him before making a move.

Only after they had been seated and Gordon had taken taken their drink orders (he wouldn't allow a regular waiter to do it) did Ariel relax.

'I don't know what it is about him, but he makes me-- uneasy.' She confided, embarrassed. 'He's just so--'

"Strange?"

'I was going to say "intense",' Ariel laughed silently, 'but strange works too.'

Jim laughed as well. "Most people feel that way around him, it's OK." He reassured her. "I just don't because... I guess I just like to surround myself with strange people." He gave Ariel a pointed look and grinned.

She promptly threw her spoon at him and missed, almost hitting the canary perched on his shoulder. He laughed and Ariel couldn't help but smile.

Fifteen minutes later they had their meals and the two didn't converse for several minutes, substituting talk for stuffing their faces, stealing each other's food, and laughing at each other as they did. It wasn't until they'd finished their dinners and ordered dessert that they took a break.

'That was delicious!' The redhead sighed, leaning contentedly back in her chair and looking out over the water. 'Thank you for taking me here, Jim.'

Jim blushed and looked down at his lap. When he looked up Ariel was still looking into the lagoon but her eyes were brimming with tears again.

"What's wrong?" He asked worriedly. The ex-mermaid realized she was crying and briskly wiped the tears away.

'Just homesick I guess,' She answered, forcing her gaze from the water and looked at the ceiling instead. 'My family is partial to the ocean. Being here made me think of them.'

"We live on the beach. You're near the ocean all the time--"

She shook her head, cutting him off. 'It's different here.' She said, meeting his eyes, then glancing at her lap. 'I can't say why, but it is.' Jim nodded. Even though he was desperate to comfort her, he knew more than anyone that people were entitled to their secrets. He couldn't put her at ease by holding her while she spilled out her heart, but maybe--

"I'm homesick, too." He told her quietly. She looked at him abruptly, her eyes still tearing up against her wishes. "My mom is the only family I have, and I left her to-- to go to school. And then there's my friends Ben, Doppler, and... John. They've always been there for me." He smiled easily at his companion as she gazed sympathetically at him. "When I first came here, I hated it. Now, though," Jim watched the light dance along the ceiling, wishing he could see the stars. "I don't regret it as much."

'You never would have met me.' Ariel pointed out.

Jim grinned. "And _you_ would have never met _me_."

Confusion flashed over the girl's face, but before Jim could question it Gordon arrived with their desserts. Ariel's was rhubarb pie with homemade custard that Jim had suggested, and Jim had dared to try the house special of the week. He couldn't suppress a devilish grin when he saw that it was, in fact, a layered pastry in the shape of a fish.

Ariel gasped and flung her first bite at him.

"Oh, that's it!" Jim challenged. "You've got to try some of mine now!"

'No way!' Ariel waved her arms in front of herself in defense. 'There's no way I am eating any of that, that... thing!'

"You asked for it!" He insisted. Neither of them noticed Gordon shake his head slowly and walk away chuckling.

"Ahhhhh!" Jim stretched in satisfaction when they were finally outside again. "That was great, huh Ariel?" He grinned widely when he saw she was still wiping the chocolate from his dessert off her face. She scowled at him, but he was not perturbed. He saw her licking off her fingers.

"Yeah..." Jim stopped and gazed over the ocean. It was sunset, the yellow orb making the water look like fire.

'It's beautiful.' Ariel breathed.

"It's a sunset." Jim shrugged, looking at his companion.

She smirked a bit sarcastically. 'We don't have sunsets like this back home.'

He watched her for a few more moments. When he spoke he was so quiet Ariel almost didn't hear him over the surf.

"You want to go home, don't you?"

'No, I--'

"It's OK if you do. You'd be crazy if you didn't."

'Things were so much... simpler back home.' Ariel allowed, choosing her mouthed words carefully. 'That's part of the reason why I left.'

Jim frowned slightly. He knew the other part. Even if Sebastian hinted that Ariel only wanted to see the prince out of obligation, her feelings were written all over her face. After their dinner tonight, however, Jim almost couldn't bear the thought of giving her up.

But for the sake of his cover, he had to.

For the sake of his cover.

"Hey Ariel, you want to go sailing?"

She jerked from her revelry. 'We don't have a boat.' She pointed out.

"No," Jim grinned, winking at the canary still on his shoulder. "No, we don't."

Ariel fidgeted restlessly on the beach as she waited for Jim to return. She was slightly worried because she doubted Jim could do much without her help. But he insisted, so she complied. Flounder was the first to appear.

"How was shopping today Ariel?" He asked enthusiastically. "Oh, is that the dress you got?" Ariel grinned, twirling and dancing to her friend's approval. She explained with great fervor the whole day, including how Jim had bought her the blue gown as a surprise, the Blue Lagoon, even the fish-shaped dessert. By the end of her tale, Scuttle and Sebastian had also arrived. The seagull cawed, amused.

"Sounds like that Jim kid 'as the _hots_ fer you!" He crowed, elbowing her good-naturedly.

Ariel started and her chest clenched. 'The hots--'

"Ya know, he's in lo-ove!" Scuttle laughed like this was hilariously ridiculous.

"What do you mean, in love?" Flounder asked, voicing Ariel's confusion. "Ariel has to get the kiss of true love from the _prince_. Jim is helping her. How c-could he fall in l-love with her?" Ariel nodded desperately. He knew that she would be leaving their home eventually. He wouldn't--- wait.

Home?

_Their?_

What was going on?

Ariel pulled her bangs back through her fingers.

"Love don't have no season," Scuttle was saying. "If the boy likes her, he likes her, an' there's nothin he can do--"

'But what can I do?' Ariel asked desperately, falling down to the gull's level. 'I don't want to hurt him, but if I want to stay human I have to kiss Eric, not Jim! But Jim has taken care of me-- he's shown me what it is to be human in spirit, not just in form. He always knows what I'm thinking and has done so much for me. I'd do anything to make him happy if my life were not at stake.'

Ariel bit her lip, watching as the sun disappeared over the horizon. The second day, gone.

Scuttle looked down at Sebastian, eyes wide.

The crab nodded, cleared his throat.

"But, Aryal," he said, "Do yoo really tink yoo can get de kees of _true love_ from de prince now?"

Ariel stared at him for a few moments.

"I--"

A low growl cut through their conversation and Ariel's hair was blasted back by a sudden wind. Ariel looked up, her hand over her eyes to protect them from the swirling sand.

It was Jim, strapped to a flying contraption of some kind.

It was beautiful.

"She's-- I call it a solar surfer!" He yelled elatedly over the roar. He released the handhold looping around the large, patchwork sail and held out his hand to her. "She fits two!" He yelled, pulling her up to his right. She immediately lost her balance and fell against him, clutching his sleeve. Over the din of the motor, she couldn't hear his breathing hitch.

"B-bend your knees!" Jim instructed, poising his left boot over the throttle. "It's easier to adapt to the dips that way!" Ariel regained her balance and did as she was told, holding the handle with vice-like desperation. Jim grinned at her nervousness.

"If you get scared, hold onto me! I won't fall off!" The girl frowned and gripped the bar tighter.

Jim laughed, slammed on the gas, and they were off.

For the first time Ariel was glad she couldn't make a sound, because if she had been able, Jim would have gone deaf. Her mouth remained poised in a silent scream as they rocketed into the air, gaining feet of altitude by the second. She squeezed her eyes shut, considering holding onto Jim because she was convinced she was going to fall. She opened her eyes a little to see how the pilot was doing, then stared.

He _defined_ ecstatic. His eyes sparkled when they weren't closed, breathing in the slipstream and his clothes flapped as if he like he would take off any second. He forgot everything and everyone, lost in the sky and filled with the wind. His mouth permanently fixed itself into a wide grin. Ariel had never seen him so happy. The air really was his element.

The ex-mermaid pried her eyes from the sailor to the view. They soared just over the crests of the waves, closer to the ocean than Ariel had been in days. The sea was as midnight blue, the spray tickled her feet and the smell burned her nose pleasantly. Ariel looked up and the sky was the same blue as the waves, as if they were in the middle of space all by themselves; free. She smiled inadvertently, then deliberately. She loved the feeling. Jim looked over and, seeing his passenger more at ease, decided to take it up a notch. He threw the throttle wide and careened toward the nearest rock face. Ariel went back to screaming. They were going to die.

At the last second, Jim jerked the handle up and back and the solar surfer charged vertically into the air. Ariel, feeling gravity pull down on her, released the bar to cling to her friend while Jim shifted his feet higher on the board, leaning bodily back on the sail. He howled exuberantly at the thrill, the extra hundred-some pounds hanging from his back not dampening his spirits one bit. The cobbled together spacecraft could only go so high, however. When they finally cleared the cliff, Jim straightened the craft, landing Ariel back on her feet. She panted, regaining her breath from the heart-stopping climb.

"You OK?" He asked, the grin still plastered across his face. She barely had time to nod before Jim plunged them into a drastic descent, again shifting his weight as Ariel fell against him.

He liked playing this game. This round, however, Ariel recuperated quicker and whooped along with him as the surfer nose-dived toward the waves. Jim found this even more enjoyable, and he became more brave and creative in his maneuvers. Soon Ariel adapted to the jerkiness of the surfer and giggled hysterically as the two traipsed over the night sky, though she never relinquished her hold on Jim's arm.


	8. The Truth Hurts

Ursula cackled, snatching a shrimp and eating it with an audible snap. Things were going better than planned. Not only was Ariel enthralled, but her second target, the alien boy, was head-over-heels as well. Now all she had to do was catch one and the other would inevitably follow. That catfish was in the bag, as well. Ariel may be disobedient, but she was not disloyal.

"Even if that irritating female human doesn't do her part, Ariel might still not be able to go through with it!" Ursula sighed dramatically, puckering her lips in a mock pout. "She has such a pure soul!" Flotsam and Jetsam cackled obligingly and the witch joined in with her own low laugh. "Yessss," she hissed, rising from her seat. "I can almost feel the trident in my hands, the crown on my head. I can see Triton and all his pathetic fish friends bowing down to--"

"URSULA!" The sea witch started, sweeping her bubble screens from their pedestals to burst against the wall. Just in time. A second later, a platoon of mer-soldiers stormed the room with Triton at their center. The trident in his hands glowed red.

"YOU ARE UNDER ARREST!" He boomed. The floor shook.

Ursula tutted. "Inside voices," she insisted infuriatingly.

"You are to blame for this!" Triton growled, aiming the tip of his weapon at the villain's chest.

"_She_ came to _me_," Ursula corrected passively. "It's a free country. Unless you are such a controlling father that even freedom is denied her."

"Don't try to paint me as the villain." Triton accused. "You deceived her."

"So I'm being arrested for lying?" She snorted. "The contract she entered into is _legal_. Binding, and completely unbreakable." Ursula's too-red lips curled into an evil smile. "Even for _you_." The trident in the king's grip flared red, but he took a deep breath and contained his fury. Ursula, that serpent. She wanted him mad.

"No, you're not being arrested for simply being immoral. You're also being arrested for one hundred fifty-three accounts of embezzlement, staging a coup, and plotting with humans to sabotage a member of the royal family. Is that enough for you?"

Ursula realized she was trapped legally and logically, and she was no match magically for the trident. But maybe, with enough speed-- the culprit lashed out with a whip of black, static-y magic meant to knock over enough troops to allow her escape. Triton was quicker. Energy from the trident ate up the black magic, the trail leading back to the source in a split second. The gold magic wound around the witch and tightened in a death grip. Triton slammed Ursula against the wall and held her there, the magic from the trident creeping up over the wall until Ursula was caught in a gold web.

"I'm placing you under house arrest." The sea king informed his prisoner. "What happens to my daughter decides your-- ultimate demise." He turned to his men, leaving the sea witch to wrestle with her bonds.

"Ten of you stand guard." He looked up past the spine of Ursula's home toward the surface. "We don't want to take any chances."

********

Ariel stumbled off of the solar surfer still laughing, squealing when her knees buckled beneath her and she fell onto the cool sand. She turned over, kicking her feet as she giggled.

'Are my legs supposed to feel like jellyfish after riding on a surfer?' She asked. The moon was bright enough for them to see, and he smiled at her naivete.

"Yeah, it's fine," he said, rubbing his casted leg absently. He had forgotten all about it when they were in the air, and he was in too good of a mood to pay attention to the ache now. "Like finding your land legs after being on a ship for a time."

His companion nodded hesitantly, then directed her attention to the surfer again.

'But it's really a marvelous contraption. How come other people in the town don't have those?' Jim jumped, his mind scrambling to find an answer.

"Well--" he hummed, "this is-- just a test model. To-- see if it's safe." He gave the sail a good-job pat. "Yup-- seems pretty stable."

'It was _amazing_," Ariel insisted, rocking back and forth with her hands on her ankles. 'You could sail across the whole ocean faster than a dolphin.'

"I don't know about the _whole_ ocean," Jim replied, sighing as he lowered himself carefully beside her on the soft sand. "Your legs would probably get stiff." She nudged him playfully, and he chuckled. "They would be good for scouting though..."

Jim thought for a moment. If Earth were a part of the Intergalactic Space Union they would probably have flying **pogo sticks** by now, but they weren't. The ancient leaders of the planet had denied any extraterrestrial trading because the other planets would swarm to Earth's resources. But if they had joined the ISU, Jim realized, they would be open for immigration. Everyone on the planet would know about aliens.

He wouldn't have to lie to Ariel.

That was irking him more and more lately, the weight of his secret bearing on his conscience.

Jim fell back on the sand with an exasperated exhale.

The sky was clear and black tonight, and a multitude of stars shown down on them. The spacer felt his eyes sting a little as he gazed at them, mesmerized. Then something hard shifted onto his shoulder and something soft brushed his face. He looked to his left to see Ariel's face only inches from his. Jim's breath caught in his throat.

'It's beautiful, isn't it?'

Jim looked hastily away from Ariel and back to the celestial lights. "Yeah," he said, "breath taking."

********

Ariel situated herself on Jim's sturdy arm (only noticing the muscle for a moment, you understand) and looked up to the sky with a sigh. They lay in silence for a few minutes. Ariel could see her companion's chest rise and fall with his breathing and made a little game of matching his breathing pace. When they were breathing in unison she focused on the stars again and a question came to mind. She poked Jim's side.

'What are the stars made of?' She asked. 'Are they angels, or fairy dust, or diamonds thrown into space by the gods?' Jim laughed at her.

"Nothing so glamorous." He said finally. "They are gaseous balls that are on fire, born from giant clouds in space." He gathered his courage and looked over at her.

All he could see were her forehead and eyes full of admiration.

'How interesting!' She exclaimed. 'They are really on fire. How does that happen?'

"Umm," Jim stammered. He'd never met a girl who took such a genuine interest in space before. In space stars and everything about them was common knowledge. On Earth they weren't considered interesting.

"They convert hydrogen into helium, and use fusion--"

'What's that one called?' Ariel interrupted, pointing at a star. Jim followed her trail.

"I think you're pointing to Betelgeuse. She's in the constellation of Orion. That one there is Rigel--" It had been so long since he had talked about the stars so freely, Jim couldn't contain himself. He continued to name off the stars in Orion and told a little bit about each one.

"--and that central one, there--" he said animatedly pointing to the center of the constellation. "--is not even a star at all. It's the Great Orion Nebula. But those aren't even my favorite stars." He grinned from ear to ear when he saw that Ariel was still listening intently, holding onto his jacket like she was clinging to every word. "My favorites are just up and to the right of Orion, that star cluster-- there! That's the Seven Sisters-- Pleiades." He sighed. "Just looking at her makes me feel more at home." They stared at the stars in silence until Ariel tugged on his jacket again.

'You belong there.' She sighed. 'If only that were possible... then you would be happy.'

He wanted to say it was possible, that that _was_ his home, but all he could think of to say was-- "I am happy."

Ariel jumped slightly, a shock running through her. She turned her head up to look at him again. 'What was that?' She tugged on him again.

"I said," he looked down. Mistake. She was even closer than before, her nose level with his. "I am happy, here, with you. It--" he swallowed as their lips came closer, almost like a magnetic current was drawing them together. "It's almost like heaven."

In that moment, Ariel could only think of how cold the night was, and how his breath smelled like the chocolate from his dessert. She leaned into the smell, realizing that he was moving towards her as well. As the logical part of her brain shut down and her heart rate sped up she wondered if her breath smelled good, too...

********

"Aryal!" The couple lying on the sand jumped at the interruption. "Eet's dark! Dont yoo tink yoo shud be in bed by now?" Ariel nodded slowly, sitting up, far enough away not to hear the sailor let out an annoyed growl. Slowly, as her brain started to kick in, it dawned on the charmed human what she had been about to do.... with i_Jim/i_. She scrambled to her feet and stared down at him, a look of utter horrified confusion on her face.

Jim just looked back up at her, a wry smirk on his face. There was a bit of regret in his eyes. He had kept his feelings hidden on the basis that Ariel did not return them, but she hadn't pulled away. As much as the romantic in Jim wanted to whisk her away, the probability of him being able to smuggle a human being off the planet was zero to none. Still, he didn't want Ariel to have any regrets, whatever her choice may be.

Sebastian beckoned again, and Ariel hesitantly turned and began to follow him.

"Wait," Jim said suddenly. Ariel whirled around again, a bit too quickly.

"Aryal!" Sebastian reprimanded, seeing the contradicting reaction as well. Jim held up a hand to the crab, signaling him to be quiet.

"Don't worry," he reassured, "I'm not going to talk her out of anything." He whistled and Max came running, Jim's crutches strapped to his back. The sailor retrieved them, waving Ariel off when she tried to assist him.

"There are--ugh--" He hefted himself up finally, and her jaw unclenched. "--some things you need to know."

'Do you want to sit--'

"No!" Jim barked, then exhaled nervously. "I'm sorry-- no. This is just really important. I-- haven't been necessarily honest with you."

Sebastian could barely keep from gaping as Jim told Ariel the whole story: about his rocky past, the solar surfer, the meaning of his special training on Earth-- everything. The ex-mermaid could only stare.

"Will you please 'say' something?" Jim asked. His knees were shaking so bad he felt like collapsing, but she somehow didn't notice.

She remained motionless.

"Aryal?" Sebastian asked worriedly.

So much was going through the princess's head. Jim was from the stars. He'd lied to her this whole time, let her believe that he belonged there like she only wished she could. But the one fear she could not shake was,

'You mean,' she sputtered, 'you-you're--leaving?'

Jim reached out a hand for her but she was too far away, and leaning forward would throw him off-balance. "Ariel, I have to. I--"

'No, I--I understand,' she interrupted, backing up. This simple act made Jim's stomach drop. 'You're from-- outer space and have-- obligations there.' Ariel was looking at the ground and the night was dark, but the spacer could make out the tears on her cheeks. 'You never planned to stay. Why should-- why should--' Her hands had subconsciously balled themselves into fists, and now she pushed their heels against her leaking eyes. Eventually she was able to draw them away and she attempted to scream, '**Why should you stay?!**' before bolting for the house.

Jim made a shaky advance after her, but the sand betrayed him and he had to stop to steady himself.

"Tanks lad," Sebastian said quietly.

"Yeah whatever," Jim mumbled, completely emotionally drained. He whistled again breathlessly, and Max came bounding to his side. He licked his surrogate master's hand, oblivious to what had taken place. Jim smirked mirthlessly at the thought. "Lucky you."

********

Sebastian could only watch as Ariel sobbed. He could not think of anything sufficiently soothing to say, and anything he would have said to dissuade her of her feelings for Jim she was saying already.

'He taught me to be _human_, he taught me their _ways_!' She said bitterly. 'And he's not even human himself.' The crab bit back a defensive response. He had become fond of the lad as well, but Ariel could not afford any distractions. He wasn't even sure if she could pull out of this heartbreak.

'He looks human, though.' She reasoned. 'What differences are there, really, between him and a human being?' She lay silent for a moment, sprawled on her back over the bed, her right arm flung over her eyes. The other hand clutched her snarfblat to her chest.

'Still, he shouldn't have... he shouldn't have tried to kiss me if he knew he was leaving!' This brought another fit of sobs, and she was grateful once again for her lack of voice. Jim probably knew she was crying, but at least he didn't have the confirmation of hearing her actual cries. She hiccuped.

'I didn't realize how much I depend on him, Sebastian.' She gasped. 'Even as I look into my future; meeting the prince, staying human, marrying Eric and making a home here on the surface... I saw Jim there beside me every step of the way.' Ariel gave a wry chuckle. "I even imagined my children running around in this very room. Childish, I know, and narrow-minded, but--" the edges of the ex-mermaid's mouth turned up slightly in a genuine smile. 'I don't know why, but the thought made me happy.

'And then he had to lie to me, and I-- lie to him. It really wasn't meant to be, was it? This friendship-- wouldn't--' she stopped and another sob shook her frame. 'Wouldn't everything have been better if we'd never met?' Ariel cried even harder, because she knew that she wanted nothing of the sort. She clung the pillow to her face out of habit to muffle the cries that made no sound.

Sebastian crawled close enough to his ward to put a claw on her shoulder.

"Ah cannot say-- anyting dat will make dis ordeal easia fo yoo, Aryal," he began, "'cept dat everyting dat boy did-- well, almost everyting-- he did fo your good."

Ariel sniffed, but said nothing. Sebastian patted her again, then scurried out of the room.

When Ariel heard the door close after him she turned over on her stomach, holding up the snarfblat to the lamplight. Her eyes skimmed over the smooth wooden surface to the carved inscription. Another unbidden tear trailed down her cheek. She missed her grotto. She missed her friends... She missed her father.

Ariel gasped, her gaze snapping back to the initials on the snarfblat's bell. LH.

A lot of Jim's explanation that night had revolved around his bad relationship with his father-- Lacertes Hawkins. LH. The girl's eyes widened. Jim mentioned losing something called a--pipe-- with his father's initials on it. He'd lost it when-- then he'd-- and the stone that had released the anchor--

He'd saved them. And she had the sna-- the pipe he was missing so badly.

She gripped the pipe harder. He had always been there for her, whether he knew it or not. Ariel turned the pipe over in her hands, then hesitantly put the stem in her mouth. Finding the taste pleasant, she chewed on it as she thought.

It was too coincidental to be a coincidence... that a girl from the sea and a boy from the sky landed in the same place at the same time and found each other. It was almost like fate. Ariel sniffed. Well, fate had forgotten some crucial details. Jim had to go back to space and, oh yeah, she needed to kiss the _prince_ to stay human.

'Stupid fate,' Ariel grumbled as she turned off the lamp, hid the pipe under her pillow, and settled in for a sleepless night.

********

Jim lay sprawled out on his bed, irritated because in his crippled condition he couldn't toss and turn like he wanted to. He couldn't sleep. He was still thinking about that night. She would have kissed me, too! He thought, his cheeks growing hot as he recalled their close encounter earlier that night. He found himself, as he battled with his conscience, wondering what her lips would have felt like. He was fairly sure they would taste salty, but were they soft or form? Her lips weren't chapped he knew that much. Had she ever been kissed before? Around this point Jim would remind himself she was off-limits and concentrate on how he could have handled the whole thing better. Morph cooed in his sleep at his owner's collarbone and Jim petted him absently. He couldn't have kept his secret any longer without regretting it. And now Ariel would not choose him even if she could, which would spare her the pain if she didn't know his true identity. But he couldn't bear the thought of her being angry at him. Maybe if he apologized...

_Oh please, _Jim scoffed to himself._ You weren't in the wrong. The Academy ordered you not to tell anyone, and it's not like Ariel isn't keeping secrets from you too. Actually, it's pretty bloody obvious._

Stop that! Jim retorted. If I'm not in the wrong, perhaps she's not either. Perhaps she is in danger, or would be if her secret got out--

_And I, of course, cannot be trusted because I lied to her even though she is lying to me. Yeah, that makes perfect sense. _Jim sighed inwardly. _I just can't believe that you fell for a random girl after knowing her two days. TWO DAYS. And right after you promised yourself you were done with serious relationships._

Hey, when did this become a "serious" relationship?

_Right when you told her the one thing that could lose me my scholarship to the Interstellar Academy._ Both sides were silent for a minute as Jim stared out the window.

"You're right." He said aloud. "I've allowed this to go too far. But there's no use denying feelings that obviously exist. The question is, what to do about them?"

He lapsed back into silence again, his face toward the moonlight. He wanted to go home. To see his mom, sneak out to have a drink with Silver, to go solar surfing in the daytime and sail among the stars. Everything was simpler when he wasn't confined to the ground.

_Seems to me--and you-- that the answer is obvious._ The critical part of him mused. _You don't belong here... the Earth girl does. So our only option is to disconnect from the relationship and get off of this bloody planet as fast as possible._

Jim growled, causing Morph to shiver slightly in his sleep. He didn't want to admit it, but he was right. But that didn't mean he had to obey. The spacer sat up, careful to not wake Morph, and put on his boots. He wasn't getting any sleep tonight.


	9. Final Day, Final Decisions

When Ariel woke up the next morning Jim was already up. He looked up as she stumbled in, trying to walk and put on her flat soles at the same time. She looked up in time to catch his smile, and the sight sent butterflies careening about in her stomach. His smile faltered when he noticed her watching him and he turned away, dishing eggs and bacon onto two large plates.

She sat down at the breakfast table as he laid the dishes at their places and caught the mug of tea the boy slid to her. They ate in silence for a few minutes, and Ariel became more and more frustrated. She did not want it to end this way. If all meals from now on were going to be tasteless and her mornings hungover with guilt-- if he was always going to be silent and give her those sad smiles-- she didn't want to go on living.

Finally, she slammed her mug on the tabletop, hot tea sloshing out the sides and burning her hand. 'I can't stand this!' Jim looked up with a start. Even Morph, who'd been enthusiastically sharing in his friend's meal, stopped mid-chew.

'I can't be mad at you! I have no i_right_/i to be mad at you, Jim!' She reached over to take his hand. She didn't know why she did it, but it comforted her to hold his strong hand in her small one.

'I want us to be friends, even if we can't be--together.' Somehow the last word didn't feel right, or maybe it felt too right, but either way she stared intently at her only bipedal friend and hoped beyond hope he'd forgive her childishness.

He stared at her for a moment, then his eyes narrowed a little and his lips twitched, like he was choosing his words very carefully.

"I could never not like you, Ariel." He said softly, finally. He patted her hand and removed his captured one slowly, almost as if he were trying not to startle her. Ariel's hands quickly withdrew, and she examined them closely, her fingers flexed experimentally. The spacer sat back and exhaled, then his eyebrows settled into the slightly brooding, normal way they always did.

When he snagged a bite of her eggs and asked, "You gonna finiss tha?" through his mouthful, Ariel knew that he held no ill will. She should have been more relieved, but she found herself wishing it had ended differently. The ex-mermaid quickly corrected herself. How could she wish something so selfish? Did she always hope for the most complicated, romantic outcome? She bit her lower lip when she realized the answer. Yes.

'I'm going to go-- talk to my friends.' She signed hesitantly, rising from her chair and rushing to the door. Jim swallowed and watched her go, a genuine smile on his lips and his heart beating too fast. How could he not be in love when she acted so ridiculous?

Ariel plopped down on the sand, then fell back so she was sprawled out on the ground, her fingers curling around the tiny stones. Sebastian surfaced first.

"Yoo no," he said in his deep baritone, "Your hair is goin to git sand in it if yoo stay dat way."

'I don't care.' Ariel pouted. 'I have to leave today.'

"Well, that's good, isn't it?" Flounder asked from the shallows. "Y-you'll get to see th-the prince! A-and stay hu-hu--"

"Hu-man!" Scuttle finished abruptly.

'I know,' Ariel whined, 'And I know this is what I have to do. I have to follow through with the--the i_mess_/i I've gotten myself into. But--' Her glance went briefly toward the villa. '--something doesn't feel right.'

"Pre-wedding jitters." Scuttle diagnosed. "Everyone gets them. You doubt your reasons, wonder if he's really i_the one_/i, and generally get your knickers in a bunch. But don't worry, honey--" He elbowed Ariel in the side and winked at her. "We'll be there for ya, all the way."

Ariel smiled and sat up. Something must have still been off about her, though, because Flounder asked, "You're having doubts, Ariel?" He was genuinely concerned for her. The princess smiled again. Throughout this whole disaster, Flounder had never blamed her, never reminded her of what an idiot she was.

'Yeah,' she admitted. 'But it will all work out.'

"Good or bad, do?" Sebastian pointed out. "Dat is de question."

Jim and Ariel walked as far as the edge of town, just as far as it took for them to get to the coach station to rent a carriage. The man at the station helped them load Ariel's bag and the large box containing the surfer into the back of the carriage, but Jim insisted on driving himself.

They continued at a reasonable pace as they cantered through town, but every time Ariel caught a glimpse of the palace she paled.

"--and BEN ran right into the-- Ariel?" Jim stopped in the middle of his story when he caught Ariel staring at their destination, her face plastered with terror.

"He's going to love you, literally." He assured her, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. She relaxed; she wanted to hold his hand there. When it withdrew, her shoulder felt unnaturally cold. Her look of fear returned. Jim noticed it again and frowned, turned back to the road, pursed his lips and determinedly flicked the reins. Ariel clung to the armrest, just as startled as the horses as they shot forward. Jim yelled warning to the early morning shoppers as the carriage crashed over the cobblestone roads. The girl looked over at her companion. His face looked similar to the previous night while riding the surfer, full of ecstasy and adrenaline. Ariel smiled, laughed, then whooped as they swerved around a wagon of produce.

Jim saw her laughing and decided to take their morning adventure to the next level. He stood up in the carriage, chariot-style, and threw one arm back with a yell. The standing was killing his crippled leg, but her smile was worth it. She stood too, but fell against him as they took a sharp corner past a bakery into an alley. She left her arm around his waist to support some of his weight. Jim smiled down at her and offered her part of the reins. She smiled and accepted, then gave the reins a smart flick.

The couple laughed harder as the horses ran faster, Ariel's fear fading as the adrenaline took over. In fact, Prince Eric and Ursula were completely forgotten for a few precious minutes, and she focused on keeping upright, turning the right corners, and synchronizing with her partner's movements so not to confuse the horses.

The ex-mermaid clung to her spacer friend tighter, wishing she could stay this way forever, in the coach, riding into the sunset together.

Unfortunately, making the horses gallop for their lives the whole trip to the castle nearly cut the arrival time in half. They fell, giggling, from the carriage, and Jim gave the reins to the tired horses to a valet. When he turned around, Ariel was sober and serene again.

He sighed. "You are going to do fine."

Ariel shook her head and muttered something he could not read.

"Look at me," he coaxed. She shook her head, clutching her bag like it would run away. "Come on, look at me!" He lifted her chin with his hand. "I will _always _ be there for you. Even when I'm not by you, I--" He swallowed. "--I'll want to be. Because you're worth it, understand?" Jim's voice hitched a bit on the last syllable, making the princess's heart jerk. Ariel let out a silent cry, dropping her bag and flinging her arms around his neck.

'I don't want you to go!' She cried over his shoulder, though he had no idea what she was trying to communicate since her face was turned away. 'I'm scared and nervous and I can't run a kingdom! If you leave, I don't know what I'll do!' He hesitantly returned her embrace, petting her head and making soothing "shhhh" sounds to calm her down and possibly cover up the frantic beating of his heart.

"Come on," he said finally, loathe to break the hug, even if the court servants were giving them strange looks. "You've got a meeting with a prince."

Sable heard of Jim's arrival as soon as he descended from the carriage and hurried to the window to catch a glimpse of him. She was fully prepared to fulfill her part of the witch's bargain so they could send the rest of their lives together, but in her heart she still harbored the hope that Vanessa had been wrong, and Jim had remained faithful to her. Even from her perch at a third-story window, though, Sable could see the feminine, redheaded form that followed her beloved from the coach. The duchess watched with boiling hot fury as the redhead looked up at the castle, then threw herself at Jim. Sable bit back tears as Jim hugged her back.

"All true," she hissed. "That tramp! I'll show her to steal my man! She'll be deported and never see this coast again if I have anything to say about it!" And with that, the duchess stormed downstairs to meet her cousin's guests.

Ariel gazed up at the gold sculptures and painted murals curling around the high, arched ceiling in the main reception room, her jaw slack in awe. Jim was explaining the nature of their visit to one of the many butlers in the palace. The grey-haired, balding man stared at the redhead for a moment, gasped, and then enthusiastically scurried off, not asking why the girl was wearing boy's clothes and gaping at the ceiling. If this was ithe one/i, it wouldn't matter.

"I've told Brigan what our-- business here is." The spacer told Ariel, tapping her on the shoulder to jolt her from her revelry. "He will go alert the prince of your arrival. However," Jim exhaled out of the side of his mouth. "Eri-- the prince has been absent for a few days, and so has quite a bit of paperwork to catch up on. It might be a while before he is able to receive us, giving you plenty of time to--" He nodded toward her bag. "Get pretti--er." Ariel held her breath to keep from blushing and nodded. She looked around for a suitable changing room. She turned back to Jim, a quizzical look on her face. The boy's face turned bright red.

"Oh right!" He grabbed her wrist and led her down a hall. Ariel stared at their joined hands as they walked, realizing with suppressed sadness that this was probably one of the last times they would touch this way.

They bobbed and weaved through multiple corridors and soon the couple was hopelessly lost. Jim had to call to a maid and sheepishly ask for directions. The maid winked at Ariel and gave her a thumbs up signal as the two continued on their way, but the ex-mermaid was clueless as to its meaning. Finally, they stopped in front of a set of dusty pink double doors.

"The lady's waiting room is right through here, you can change here--" He began, but just then another grey-and-balding butler rushed up to them, his collar ruffled from running and his coattails flying out behind him. He skidded to a rather impressive stop, though, and straightened his pressed suit in record time.

"Mr. Hawkins?" He intoned in a very professional voice. Both teenagers looked at the man in a slightly awed, baffled manner.

"Yes, that's me." Jim managed, glancing over at Ariel and giving her a sideways i-have-no-idea grin. "What is it--"

"The prince requires your presence immediately." The butler recited. "He says that he must discuss your-- proclamation before he sees your, ah, guest."

Jim nodded, taking a step to follow the manservant.

"Get ready," he urged the girl clutching her carpet bag, "and wait here. Someone will come fetch you when I'm done talking to the prince, OK?" Ariel nodded reluctantly, turning away as Jim began to move away. With a sigh she pushed a door to the waiting room open, a feeling of regret building in her stomach.

For some reason it was a lot harder to change out of Jim's clothes than she had thought. Not only was strong sentimental value attached to the patched up clothing, but putting on the pink dress she was wringing in her hands meant she was leaving behind her newfound life forever. No more solar surfing, no more secret cave restaurant getaways, no more coffee making, and definitely no more bar fights-- Ariel brushed a stray tear from her cheek as Sebastian scuttled from his pocket on the outside of her bag to the stool she was sitting on.

"Ah yoo ready yet, Ary--oh."

Ariel frowned; was her distress so obvious? 'I'm-- I'm going to go through with it.' She told the crab. 'It's just scary, is all. What if I'm not able to woo the prince? What if one day isn't enough...'

"If eet's tru love, it'll be more den enough." Sebastian assured her, his claw on her thigh. "But yoo will only make eet harder on yourself meeting him in dees-- rags." Ariel gazed down at the cascade of fine pink material in her hands and nodded, standing to undress.

There was no other way; at least when she was married to the prince, she would be able to see Jim off when he-- when he left. Ariel sniffed. As Ursula's slave, she would never see her alien friend again, an idea which was fast becoming the princess's worst nightmare.

"And you are sure she's the girl, Jim?" Eric leaned forward in his high backed velvet chair, his arms supported on his desk. It was covered in various sheets of parchment for defense reports and from dignitaries. Many of them looked like they had coffee spilled over them; whether on accident or on purpose, Jim did not know.

"Yes, I am sure." The sailor nodded. "She can't sing or speak-- at least not at the moment, she lost her voice from drinking all that seawater, but--" He leaned his hands on the prince's desk.

"Eric, you know me. I would never bring you a girl that I wasn't sure was your mystery girl. She loves the ocean, comes from a faraway country as a runaway, and can recall all of the events of that night by heart. When the ship exploded you-- you gave her quite a scare."

Eric stood, his clear blue eyes full of hope. "Bring her in!" He declared, leaping up.

"Your Highness, she's is in the women's waiting room at present," a nearby maid-- the one Jim had asked directions from-- piped up. "Shall I go fetch her, sir?"

"No," The prince decided. "That would take too long. We will go get her ourselves. Come Jim!" Thought the prince had only requested for the sailor to accompany him, the rest of the room poured out after Eric, eager and curious to see the alleged "Mystery Girl." The spacer followed as well, but he dragged his feet, and so brought up the rear. He had really been hoping to escape before Ariel and Eric's reunion. Jim sighed, trying to ignore the babbling gossip and speculation occurring in front of him. He wanted to want only what was best for Ariel, but his heart refused to comply. Well, he had to be present, but that didn't mean he had to watch, and as for the wedding... if he could help it, he would not be there at all.

When Ariel was done changing in a small booth, a girl was waiting for her outside of the curtained off room. The girl was very beautiful; she had tan skin and luscious brown hair and eyes. Her form was petite with curves in all the right places. Ariel knew enough about men that even the most prudent of them would be attracted to this girl. Her red lips, however, were contorted into a slightly disconcerting smile, making her face seem almost grotesque.

"Hello, honored guest," the girl said, standing to acknowledge the other teenager. "I am here to escort you to the prince."

Ariel followed the brunette down multiple hallways and staircases, looking for anything familiar but not wanting to question her daunting guide. Soon, however, the ex-mermaid noticed the windows they passed were smaller and not as extravagant, less tapestries hung from the walls, and the paint was more chipped and faded. Ariel's gut began to churn; her hunch had been right. This girl, whoever she was, was not taking her to J-- to the prince.

"You really are a foreigner, huh?" The girl said, her voice cold enough to raise goosebumps on Ariel's exposed skin. "To not know who I am-- everyone, from this area at least, knows who iI/i am." The other girl stopped abruptly, turning on a high heel to face her guest. "Well, I know who you are. You're the tramp who is low enough to move in on my man while I'm away."

Ariel's eyes narrowed in confusion, and she shook her head to jog her memory. The only name she could come up with was;

'Eric?' She mouthed, baffled.

"Don't give me the innocence act!" The brunette growled. "I saw you attack him this morning, like the sorry excuse for a woman you are!"

The redhead's eyes widened. Jim. She's talking about Jim. So this girl must be--

Suddenly, Ariel felt much less safe.

"But don't think he loves you, because he is imine/i, and will stay mine until I decide otherwise!" Sable began advancing toward her rival.

Ariel, feeling a bit behind and oddly defensive, had no choice but to keep the distance between them by backing away.

Didn't Jim say he despised this girl? Ariel reassured herself. And he did-- Jim did confess that he-- was attached to Ariel. But perhaps it was not wise to tell Sable that.

"Still," the brunette was saying. "I can't have you getting permission to stay here and remain a nuisance, can I?" This threw Ariel off. What was this crazy human babbling about?

Then, Ariel felt the wood of a door against her back. In one fluid motion, Sable reached around Ariel, pushed the door open, and twirled her guest around so that the redhead head was facing the dark maw of the supply closet.

"Now be a girl and stay in here till sunset, k?"

Ariel let out a silent scream of surprise as Sable pushed her into the dark room. On instinct, the princess turned about as she fell and grabbed onto the first thing she could touch; in this case, Sable's skirt. The two girls landed on the threshold in a heap. The brunette lost no time in clawing at the other girl to let her get up. A dazed Ariel kept hold of the skirt with a vice-like grip. "Let go of me, you common trash!" Sable hissed, scratching at Ariel's face with her fingernails, leaving pink trails down the princess's confused face.

Sebastian struggled to the rim of Ariel's pocket to see what was going on.

'Jumping jellyfish!' He exclaimed. 'Aryal, woo is dees, and why ah yoo arm wrestling?!"

'Sable.' Ariel managed to mouth between silent grunts. 'Thinks I'm-- here for Jim.'

"Well, we have no time for dis!" The crab decided, and scurried up his ward's side to the smaller girls' hands where he proceeded to pinch her.

"Augh!" Sable screeched upon seeing the crustacean. With a violent flick of her wrist, Sebastian flew from his perch on Ariel's shoulder and slammed into the wall. The princess swore she heard a crunch. 'Sebastian!' She tried to scream.

"Oh, and she is friends with crabs too." Sable sneered, though her face was still pained from the pinching. "This just keeps getting better."

Something in Ariel snapped. Suddenly she was back in the bar in the city, and this petite, devilish girl was yet another barrier keeping her from where Jim was being helplessly tortured. With newfound vigor, Ariel hoisted herself up to grapple with her foe on even ground. Sable was startled by her captive's abrupt courage, but she recovered when the redhead planted her palms on Sable's shoulders and began to push.

"No, you don't!" Sable ordered, pushing back. She was stronger than the taller girl had anticipated, and the brunette gained ground. The duchess smirked as Ariel had to lean forward more to gain leverage on the marble floors.

"To think Jim could actually love a weakling like you." She grunted, pushing harder. "He was obviously trying to make me jealous."

'He hated you!' Ariel tried to reply. 'Jim scowled every time he heard your name. He will never love you!' Sable did not know exactly what the redhead said, but her growling assured the mute that she'd gotten the jist of it. Both teens kicked off their shoes to gain more traction on the slippery stone floor.

Periodically one of them would make a kick for the others' leg, or slash at the other girls' arms. Their grips on their foe's shoulders formed bruises. They mostly concentrated on keeping their footing. Both girls were running out of breath, and beads of sweat rolled down Ariel's face as she began to cave. In hand to hand combat Sable would not have stood a chance, but when it came down to fancy footwork Ariel only had three days worth of experience and next to no muscle mass.

Ariel made a go at Sable's face, trying to lure the girl into a fist fight, but the duchess knew where her strengths lay.

"I could make so many jokes about your apparent lack of lower body strength," the petite girl chortled, "but I will just say this; Jim is mine." Mustering up all her strength, Sable gave the redhead a final, firm push, and Ariel's slanted stance made it impossible for her to regain her balance. The ex-mermaid backpedaled into the supply closet and landed with a thud on the floor. With a triumphant leer, Sable slammed the doors shut and locked them with a flare of jangling keys.

When Eric and Jim arrived at the women's waiting room, pretty much all of the palace staff had joined them.

"This had better be good." Grimsby said, a tad perturbed. "I interrupted my yoga session for this." Captain Harris was even there, eyeing Jim on his crutches worriedly. The crease between the captain's eyebrows deepened when Jim bent over in exhaustion, the fish-shaped scar on his collarbone visible under the sagging cloth.

"She's in there?" Eric asked impatiently.

"Yeah," Jim said hesitantly, glad his breathlessness covered up some of his regret. "I'll-- I'll get her." The sailor knocked on the door. "Ariel? Ariel, are you ready? The prince is here to see you."

No answer.

Jim knocked again, calling out the same message, but no bouncy, flustered redhead answered the door. The youth frowned and his stomach clenched painfully. Something was not right.

"With your permission, Highness?" He looked pointedly at the prince, requesting entrance into the women's area.

The prince looked confused for a moment, then his eyes widened and he nodded insistently. "Of course!" He said, "Please go retrieve her!"

Jim propped one of his crutches against his side so he could hoist open a door, then swung himself in. He called out her name constantly as he scoured every inch of the pink, fluffy interior; in the toilet rooms, behind changing curtains, under vanity desks, but his friend was nowhere to be found.

"No," he groaned. "No, this can't be happening!" Panic seized him when he found his clothes discarded on the floor. "Ariel, where are you?!"

Eric hurried in upon hearing the teen's frantic cries. "Jim, what's--"

"She's not here. She was here, I dropped her off here. Look, there are the clothes she was wearing before changing--"

Eric raised an eyebrow. "She wore your clothes?"

"But now she's gone!" Jim said, ignoring the prince's query. "I told her to stay here. Augh, I'm so stupid! I should've known she wouldn't listen to me! I should have stayed here and waited for her. I shouldn't have left her side. Now she could be anywhere, lost and --" Jim ran a shaky hand through his hair, and the movement unbalanced him. He would have fallen if Eric had not caught his distraught friend.

"It's OK, Jim," He said with a chuckle, though disappointment was evident in his face. "We'll all look for her. Besides, my castle is perfectly secure. What's the worst that could happen?"

"Aryal? Aryal, knock twice if yoo con hea me!" Sebastian said from the other side of the locked doors. Ariel lunged at the door from her place on the floor and knocked hastily. "Okay, okay, I kno de-- repercussions hea." The crab reassured. "I will go try to fine' dat-- Jim boy. But I'm not makin'-- any promises. Dis place is huge, and I-- took quite a blow to de shell in dat catfish fight." There was a pause, and Ariel bit her nails in guilt. She was always involving Sebastian and Flounder in her schemes, and nine times out of ten they ended up in danger. Why did everything she attempt end in someone getting hurt? She remembered Jim's face at breakfast that morning, and tears welled in her eyes.

"Yoo-- did try hard, chile'." Sebastian said finally. "I'm so proud of yoo." Faint scuttling sounds permeated the wood as the crustacean hurried off.

The ex-mermaid sat in the dark for a few minutes, as numb as the darkness around her. She had failed. All of that work, her friends' sacrifice, the danger-- and for what? She'd even broke Jim's heart for a man she'd never met-- and never would meet, if this continued. At sunset she'd become a mermaid again-- though she did not know how she could be Ursula's slave while she was landlocked.. and literally locked.

Ariel frowned. No. Even if this solution hurt her the least, what about her friends? Flounder would be alone. Sebastian would be given the task of explaining all of this to her father. And what about her father? Her family? She hadn't even properly said good-bye.

Then there was Jim-- out of all of them she owed him the most. She didn't want him to find out her true nature, at least not like this. The princess sniffed, standing shakily to her feet. Not if she hadn't even tried yet.

Ariel charged the door, slamming into the thick oak with her shoulder. She clenched her teeth in pain, but she found satisfaction in hearing the wood groan. A few charges later she had dislocated her right shoulder, and was reduced to banging on the doors till her hands bled, and then pounding some more. She would not lose like this. Even if no one heard her or she if couldn't break the door down herself, she wanted the pleasure of knowing, no matter the consequences, that she had tried. She hit the door again, but her efforts were barely heard through the deserted halls.

Half an hour later everyone reconvened in the lower lobby, every search team fruitless.

"Where could she be?" Jim gasped, visibly shaking with exhaustion. The canary on his shoulder chirped in concern, pecking his face gently.

"I'm sure she's-- fine, Jim." Eric said, looping his arm under Jim's to support some of the sailor's weight. The youth scoffed.

"That line isn't as convincing the twentieth time." He pointed out.

The prince smiled wanly. "And your self-assurances just get more and more sincere. How do you do it?"

"Where haven't we checked?" Captain Harris asked, changing the subject.

"We've been everywhere the main corridors lead, the kitchen, and all of the suites." Eric mused. "That leaves the basement, the offices, and the Old Castle."

"Old Castle?" Jim croaked. "What's that?"

"You need rest." Harris said sternly.

"With all due respect, sir, no." Jim replied, matching the burly man's tone. "I've taken care of her, I brought her here, she's my responsibility." He turned his attention back to Eric. "So, what's Old Castle?"

"It's, uhh--" Eric swallowed. No one had ever talked to the captain like that before. "I-it's the original castle. We don't use it for much more than a dungeon and storage anymore, but my forefathers did not have the heart to build over it, so the untampered structure still stands."

Jim pondered for a moment, his chin in his hand. Then he repositioned himself so he was standing on his own again.

"Take me to the dungeons." He said.

Ariel finally gave up on pounding to nurse her wounds and explore her surroundings. Sucking the blood from the heel of her left hand while the other dangled uselessly on her right, she stood and felt around with her feet, using her bare toes to investigate any object she found. The new human discovered a few sacks of mulch, a stack of wooden planks, and a rake before her foot found something near the center of the small room. In fact, she nearly slipped on it, the arch of her foot bending over the cylindrical object and kicking her leg forward.

Ariel was able to regain her balance, but the strange item clanged about on the other side of the closet. Another few minutes elapsed before the girl found the treasure again. She rotated it in her hand, explored it with her fingertips. The object was metal, about three inches in length. It sloped to a slab at one end, and had a hole cut near the tip. The thing was apparently hollow. Ariel brought the slanted end to her mouth and blew. A shrill sound erupted from the small instrument, and the redhead nearly dropped it.

'A snarfblat.' The princess mouthed, for lack of a better word. 'The one Sable wore.' She blew into it again, the resulting note so sharp that Ariel's ears rung. Beyond the locked doors the high frequency echoed off of the walls. 'This sound will travel much faster and farther than my futile banging.' The girl realized. She pressed herself up against the door and exhaled hard and fast into the little metal instrument.

Hear me, Jim, she pleaded. Come rescue me.


	10. Life in the Palace

Jim stumbled among the rotting old dungeon cells, his exhaustion so overwhelming now that he leaned heavily on the moldy walls. Eric ordered for a wheelchair to be brought, and Jim put up no fight this time. He was too preoccupied.

"She's not here, either." Jim groaned, sliding to the ground.

Harris crouched beside his apprentice. "How long had she been staying with you, this dame?" He asked gently. Jim ran a hand over his sweat-stained face.

"About two days." His head hung. "Feels like forever."

"She's that important to you, eh?" The captain smiled, and Jim returned it with a frown.

"She's important to the prince." He countered. "I just hate that I've screwed this up."

"Uh-huh." The captain raised a brow, unconvinced.

"Look, I don't have time to discuss my personal life, OK?" Jim growled, trying to pull himself to his feet again. "We don't have much time to-- what's that?"

"What's what?" The captain and Eric asked in unison.

"That-- high pitched noise. It sounds almost like a whistle. Like Sable's, only more--" The sailor's eyes widened. "Frantic." Jim scrambled to his feet, slamming into the parallel cell's bars. The teen didn't care. He only cared about reaching the source of the shrill sound, and he used everything and everyone as leverage to make it back up the dungeon's stairs and into the Old Castle's halls.

"Jim! Jim!" Eric called as the crippled youth moved with miraculous speed back the way they'd come. "Wait a moment! Why are you so sure this is her? It could just be Sable being a prima donna... Jim!"

"It is her." Jim insisted. "The whistle is close enough to hear, which means that the source is in Old Castle. Why would Sable be here?"

Eric had to admit the logic was sound. "OK, it's worth looking into. I even think I hear it now. So why don't you let me find it? You are so weak, I don't want--"

"No!" Jim grunted, swinging determinedly forward. "I have to find her--" as he swung farther out of earshot, the spacer continued, "_I_ have to save her."

**************

The princess blew on the whistle more fervently, trying not to cry.

Finally, she could hear swift footsteps approach. She stopped whistling and began pounding on the door again until a harsh voice snapped, "Stop that racket, you man-stealing wench!" Ariel almost collapsed in tears right then. It was only Sable.

"You little thief, you stole my whistle!" The duchess huffed. Her captive nodded even though the noble couldn't see her, hoping the kidnapper would open the doors to retrieve her trinket. "Well, I'll have it back soon enough-- after sundown. I just came down here to confirm you have it. They're searching for you, you know. In fact, they're not very far away." Ariel waited with bated breath, though she knew this vile human was leering on her side of the locked doors. "It's a shame I'll have to lure your rescuers away." Ariel screamed a silent scream of rage at the woman, calling dozens of curses on the petite girl's head. Her captor only trotted haughtily away.

The whistling stopped but Jim pressed on, moving as fast as he could in the direction he thought the noise had been coming from.

"Jim!" Eric called. He had stopped to receive the wheelchair from an attendant, who was breathless from trying to find them.

"Hawkins!" Captain Harris ordered, hastily walking up behind the teen and lifting him beneath the arms. The student grunted as he felt the full weight of his casted leg. "You can continue this mad search sitting down." He deposited Jim in the chair, pulling a handkerchief from his pant pocket and handing it to his apprentice. "You look like death, lad."

Jim was mopping the sweat from his eyes when Sable ran up. She slowed considerably upon seeing them. The spacer thought she mumbled "So close?" under her breath. He had gotten good at lip reading since Ariel had arrived.

He was about to ask the duchess what she meant, but the prince beat him to the punch. "Sable, what are you doing all the way out here?"

"Well, I was-- looking for you!" The girl replied animatedly. "You're looking for that girl, right? I've already searched all down this corridor, why don't we try the kitchen?"

"We've already been there." Eric said, disheartened by Sable's news.

"The suites?"

"Yes."

"The basements?"

"Thoroughly."

"Ugh, the stables?!"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"The only place someone here hasn't searched," Jim cut in, "Is the Old Castle. Now, if you'll excuse me for not trusting you," he wheeled past the brunette. "I'd rather search them myself."

Sable almost seethed. "I assure you, Jim," she articulated through clenched teeth. "Your _girlfriend_ is not down that hall."

"What?" Eric asked, confused.

Even as Jim flushed, all the pieces fell into place. If Sable thought that Ariel was romantically involved with him, there was nothing she _wouldn't_ do to remove competition. Why he would bring his girlfriend to the palace in the first place, Jim didn't understand, but who knew what went on in Sable's crazed mind?

Jim's cheeks burned in indignation. "What have you done with her?" He accused.

"Me?!" Sable replied. "What ever could you mean?"

"You shallow witch." Jim growled, foregoing any pleasantries royals were usually guaranteed. "If you've harmed so much as a hair on her head, I swear you will never see or hear from me again! Now tell me where you've hidden her."

The crowd behind Jim stirred with surprise at the typically mellow cripple's malice. Some whispered about whether there was truth in the sailor's words. Others knew the punishments Sable liked to inflict on disobedient men, and made hushed bets among themselves which of them it would be. Sable could not condemn him now, though, until the claims on her own head were withdrawn.

"Why would I hide such a common girl?" The seductress asked, eyebrow raised. "So skinny, clumsy, even mute! How would I be even slightly rivaled by her?"

The grin Jim gave her was unsettling. "So," he chuckled. "You have seen her, then?"

Sable covered her mouth, and her cousin moved in. "When? Where?" Eric asked forcefully. "I've gotten tired of your games, Sable! Where have you hidden _my_ **future bride**?"

"Your--?" Sable gasped, trying to shrug off Eric's hands from her shoulders. "But I thought--"

Just then, a shrill note cut through the debate. Jim's head whipped toward the sound, and everyone fell silent. They were close enough to recognize the sound.

"Sable?" Jim whispered. "Do you have your whistle?"

"I'm so sorry, Jim." Sable whimpered as the whole search team ran toward the whistle. "I was told that she was your girlfriend, and I thought you had cheated on me. I never meant--" The noble smiled pitifully. "I knew you wouldn't betray me." She attempted to hug him mid-run, but Jim swerved out of the way.

"Right now I would do much worse than betray you." He growled, his eyes not straying from his path. He turned his head to those behind him. "Left turn!"

Ariel blew into the whistle with all her might, until her throat was dry. Soon she could hear footsteps and voices as they ricocheted off the walls. Her heart leapt as she heard Jim calling for her. She began to pound on the closet doors again, trying to convey her position and delight through the whistle's short tweets.

Jim was pushing on the wheels of his chair so hard that his arms ached. The shrill sound he pursued was close now, so close he could hear desperate banging that accompanied the whistling like primitive folk music. The spacer turned the last corner sharply, scraping Sable's arm and nearly toppling as his left wheel lifted into the air.

"Ariel!" He yelled, his voice cracking with anticipation and relief. "I'm coming, hang on!" The whistling came in shorter, shriller bursts, signaling that she'd heard him.

It took him mere seconds to barrel down the hallway to where the distress calls originated. Jim's hands burned as he used them to forcefully pull his crude transport to a skidding stop.

"It's OK, I'm right here, I'm right here." He soothed from the other side of the thick, oak doors, his hands exploring the barriers for a weakness. The sailor noticed the lock and sighed.

"A broom closet, Sable?" Eric asked in disgust as the prince and his cousin caught up.

Jim only sighed. "The key, please."

Sable arched an eyebrow. "I told you, I don't have it." Another bang from within the closet, angrier this time.

"Sable, this is not the time to be jealous." Eric reprimanded, standing defensively behind Jim. "Give us the key, or I will send you back to the winter palace on the northern coast."

"You still have no proof that I did anything!" The brunette protested, her cheeks red with fury. "I passed that thief in the hall! She must have spirited my whistle off me. Besides," she glanced over to where Jim was speaking in coaxing tones through the keyhole. "If I _had_ done this, I would have gotten rid of the key long ago."

Eric sighed in exasperation, but Jim just sat back from the doorknob to rustle in his pocket.

"Morph," he said under his breath to the alien who had taken refuge in the comfort of his trousers. "I could really use some lock picks right now." When he withdrew his hand, he was gripping a leather pouch. He extracted the first pick and tried the lock.

Ariel pressed herself up against the doors, the whistle clanging aside as Jim's voice came from the other side of the wood.

"It's OK, I'm right here, I'm right here." She had no idea hearing his voice again would be so heavenly. The captive leaned into the sound as if it were her lifeline, her heart wanting to phase through the solid surface into his arms. Jim, she thought elatedly. I knew you would find me. The girl was shaken from her revelry when Sable's voice pierced the walls of her prison.

Ariel's blood boiled and she hit the door hard when Sable denied any connection with her imprisonment. 'That shark tricked me into coming here!' The princess insisted silently. 'Jim, don't believe her! I--'

Then, a new voice joined the conversation, one that was also skeptical of the brunette's innocence. 'The prince.' Ariel gasped. For a moment she was self-conscious (did her hair look OK? Was it proper to see a prince while bloody and bruised?) and extremely conflicted. She had resolved to marry Prince Eric for her sake but, more importantly, for the sake of all of her friends and family. But she had realized during her imprisonment, if this feeling of longing never to be parted from a person, willing to be with them through sickness and health, was love, then she did not love Eric. She loved-- Jim.

As the prince continued to converse with Sable, hushed tones slipped through the crack between the doors, as soothing as a fresh breeze in the stale air of the closet.

"Are you all right in there?" Jim whispered. Ariel pressed her forehead against the door, the slight bump giving him his response. "I-I'm so sorry I got you mixed up in this, Ariel." He said woefully. "I completely forgot about Sable. I should have protected you. Kept you-- with me--" The ex-mermaid shook her head profusely, wishing she could dispel his guilt. Though she did wish he had stayed with her--

"You know I still--" Jim paused, wary of his company overhearing, "--have feelings for you, right?" The light shining that entered under the closet doors flickered, and Ariel looked down. Three of Jim's fingers protruded from beneath the wood. Her heart thumping wildly, she lowered her fingers to touch his. "After I get you out of here," the spacer continued, his voice even lower and more discreet, "We can get away from here. You can fake being sick, or I'll say the whole thing was a mistake, anything..." Ariel could see him blushing in her mind's eye; turning his head away slightly, grinning the way he did when he was embarrassed or trying not to be amused. "I don't-- I don't want you to leave me." He laughed, but the sound broke Ariel's heart. "How would I pick bar fights or buy dresses without you?"

Ariel chuckled, the tension successfully broken.

She wished she could say yes-- both literally and physically. She wished she could leap into his arms and insist on staying there, but it was too late to change her mind, too late to do what her heart yearned for. The princess bit her lip as Jim began picking the lock. If only she could embrace him once, kiss him once, maybe she could live the rest of her life with a stranger.

Jim's fingers still burned from where Ariel touched him. He didn't know why he was so excited by her nearness _now_, though she had been living with him for the past two days. Maybe it was because the man she thought she loved was standing right behind him?

Eric waited with bated breath as the sailor jammed pick after pick into the lock.

"How long should this take?" He asked finally, voicing the thoughts of rest of the cripple's audience. Jim would have rolled his eyes if he hadn't been concentrating so hard.

"It depends on when I choose the right pick. But I will get it open." He inserted another pick into the opening. "It's all just a matter of--" The pick he was jiggling suddenly clicked the tumblers into place, allowing the pick to turn the lock. Jim's face heated up inexplicably. "It worked." He whispered. The multitude behind him leaned forward as the sailor grabbed the handle and pulled.

"It won't open." Ariel heard Jim say from the other side of her prison door.

'No!' She screamed desperately. 'No, no, no! Jim!' She beat the door with her good hand as the door shook from Jim's attempts on the other side.

'Jim! I can't go on without seeing you again!' Ariel yelled as she hit the wood, her hand bleeding and her right shoulder aching. 'If you get me out of here, I'll follow you anywhere! I'll escape Ursula as soon as I can, kill her if I have to, just to be with you. I'm sorry for lying and causing you trouble, but I hope you know I'd face down a hundred sea witches and start a million bar fights to be with you!' Ariel backed up, gripping her right arm, and made ready to charge the door.

The spacer tried in vain to pry the door open, but whatever he tried, it wouldn't budge. He even tried standing for more leverage.

"Well, you should take into account that you _have_ been running around the castle all day in-- uh, in your state." The prince pointed out. "Let me have a go."

Jim frowned slightly but agreed, moving out of the way for the older man, but not so far as he couldn't reach Ariel quickly once she was released.

The prince looked a little nervous as he grasped both door handles. Sable leaned forward, her jaw locked and fists clenched. Even Jim felt pensive, though he didn't know why, refusing his wheelchair in favor of his crutches, which he reclaimed from a nearby attendant.

"Alright," Eric inhaled deeply, "Here goes."

***********

Ariel ran headlong toward the door, her head tilted and left shoulder pointed at the door for maximum impact. She didn't care if she dislocated her other shoulder, or if she had bruises for weeks and no magic to fix them. Beyond those doors was Jim, and Jim would make everything better. Right before the redhead's body made contact with the wood, however, light flooded her small prison and Ariel fell into the real world.

The closet's double doors burst open with a bang, and everyone took a step back in mild alarm. Only Jim didn't falter; he had to see Ariel, to make sure she was all right. But the opening door prevented the cripple from intercepting her as she ran headlong into the stunned prince's arms. The spacer wanted to hurry forward and check her for injuries, yearned to yank her from the hold of the ignorant noble and care for her himself. Along with bleeding palms, she looked like she had a dislocated shoulder, and he doubted Eric had any idea what to do about it.

Instead, Jim swallowed his instincts and waited, curious to see how the two would react. Eric looked down, dazed, at the girl in his arms, and Ariel, terrified, looked back. A spark of recognition turned to flame in the prince's eyes. "I've found you." He whispered, almost not believing it himself. "My Mystery Girl. I--" He kissed her tenderly on the forehead and drew her more completely into his embrace. Their audience applauded hesitantly, not knowing what else to do, but genuinely happy for their prince. Jim just stared. The spacer's heart felt like it was being torn apart by galactic scorpinos, then thrown out into deep space to freeze. He wanted so desperately to run away, yet his legs wouldn't move him. Ariel managed to turn her head and catch her friend's gaze. She smiled wanly, then buried her face in Eric's shirt, her good arm tightening its grip on him. So, she had found her prince after all. There was no hope for him now, not that he should have dared to hope in the first place. Jim looked down and away, his heart icing over.

Time slowed as Ariel registered the absence of her prison doors, the sudden light, and the sensation of falling. The princess gasped as she fell onto a stranger, their collision throwing her arms forward and around whomever she had been thrown on. The girl didn't look up to see who it was-- the light coming in through the windows was too strong-- but she knew at once that it wasn't Jim. The smell was all wrong, and if she had Jim with that kind of force, even if he was using his crutches, she would have bowled him over.

"I've found you," the person whispered hesitantly, and Ariel's eyes widened. She knew that voice. 'Eric?' She mouthed in disbelief, then horror, as she stared up into the prince's face. Then-- where was Jim? "My Mystery Girl." Eric said lovingly, and Ariel closed her eyes as the prince kissed her on the forehead, but she felt nothing; at least, not what she should have felt. In the prince's arms she felt like a lost guppy; safe, warm, comforted, like a fortress in the middle of a war. Ariel shifted her head and her heart skipped a beat when she saw Jim and met his eyes. He looked like Davy Jones' locker, and she hated to think he got that way because of her. However, she knew she would do the same for him, and as she smiled reassuringly at him she wished it were him she was hugging. Because even though Eric made her feel safe like a castle, Jim made her feel loved... like a home. A rush of memories and could-have-beens flooded Ariel's mind to the point her vision clouded and the princess turned away, wiping her tears on the prince's shirt. Jim had helped her get this far. She would not give him a reason to feel the guilt that burdened her heart.

************

Sebastian reached the sea kingdom at around noon, his cracked shell slowing his progress substantially.

"Sire!" The crab wheezed as he entered the throne room. "Aryal is in grave dane-ja! A hooman girl trapped ha in a closet, an--"

"I know, Sebastian." Triton said, kneading his brow. "My eyes have scarcely left the scrying mirrors since Ursula's arrest. I saw the whole ordeal."

"And?" Sebastian asked feverishly, wondering why the sea king had not acted, if his daughter was on the brink of eternal servitude.

"She was rescued." Triton replied tiredly, "by the human prince, Eric."

Sebastian perked up. "Dis is-- dis is good, sire! Wunda-full! With ha wit an' charm, Aryal will definitely have dat kees by sundown."

"Yes, I suppose so." The king pondered, rotating his trident ponderously.

"But--" The crustacean prompted worriedly.

"She's in love."

"I kno, dat was de whole plan, so dat--"

"Not _him_, Sebastian."

Sebastian looked down, tapped his claws together nervously. "Ya," he finally said. "I know."

"We have that sea witch locked up on legal charges." Triton said slowly, turning back to the scrying mirrors mounted on the wall. They portrayed two scenes; the first Ariel being carried away by excited servants, the other showing a depressed spacer wheeling in the opposite direction. "We can only hope that the law is stronger than her contract. Then, maybe my little Ariel will be safe."

After visiting the palace physician, Sebastian went to the princess' quarters to see how the sisters were faring. When he entered the room, he wondered if this wasn't a good idea.

"How is she doing?"

"Has she kissed the prince yet?"

"What's it like on the surface?"

"I always knew this would happen..."

"Is it true they 'drink' things up there?"

"Ladies, ladies!" Sebastian scolded, raising his claws in defense against their onslaught. They had stampeded him when he announced his presence, and now they were so close that everywhere he looked was another princess's face. "She ees doing fine. She ees wit de prince now, so de situation ees completely out of our hans. De only ting we con do is make shoo-a dat Ursula does not escape, and ah am on my way to dat witch's prison right now."

"Will we ever see her again?" The quiet question came from Attina, the only daughter not a part of the inquisitive hoard. The other sisters dispersed upon hearing the question, but all looked at their mentor with sad, expectant eyes. The crab squinted his eyes in painful thought for a moment, then said slowly, "Ah don't kno."

************

"Mademoiselle, if you keep moo-ving, I can't accurately take your measure-ments," the seamstress said in exasperation as she lifted the princess's arm for the umpteenth time from its slumped position. Ariel tried her best to keep her arms straight and her back rigid, but ever since she had been dragged from Jim she felt like huddling in a corner and crying. The brunette, short from Ariel's perspective from the two-foot-tall podium. lowered her tape measure and looked into her client's face. She gave the lovesick girl a small smile. "I know eet must be scary, being zo helpless and zo far away from home, but--" the woman, only a couple years Ariel's senior, sighed and wrapped the measuring tape around the teenager's tiny waist. "-- once you marry ze prince, he'll be sure to alert your family, even get ze finest physicians to treat your voice."

Ariel nodded, but her arms slumped again, and the dress maker put the measuring tape away in resignation. "Vell, ve still have cloth to go sru, and since you cannot bear to have your measure-ments takeen," The princess bit her lip guiltily. "You can peek out your favour-eet cloth and style." The seamstress attempted another encouraging smile, but her irritation would not be suppressed. Her redheaded client slunk noiselessly off the short podium and followed the older woman meekly over to a long table displaying bolt upon bolt of expensive cloth.

"Ze best cloth eez on zis end," the seamstress informed Ariel passively, not bothering to slow her brisk pace when she noticed the bride-to-be was lagging behind. "You vill need to pick a main shade, colour for ze trim, and one ozzer for layering and dee-tailz." The brunette looked back then, making quick observations of the other girls' body type, hair color, and complexion for the over-all design and fit of the dress. Only after a complete one-over did the woman notice the bride's face; she was staring at the rows of fabric, her eyes blank and confused. The dress maker sighed. "Do not worree; I vill help you." She handed the girl a piece of paper and a quill; the prince ordered these to be on hand at all times (at the advice of his friend). "My name ees Jeanette." The smaller girl took the paper and wrote for a brief moment, then handed the page back, her mouth pulled into the first smile Jeanette had seen on the girl. She looked down at the parchment.

"I'm Ariel."

*********

**Man, that's a lot for seven pages!**

**Well, here it is folks! The beginning of the end! Thanks for all your support and reviews! Luv yoo all!**

**~Iesnoth  
**


	11. Not the Best Man

"How is my beautiful bride?" Eric threw open the door to the chamber a couple hours later. Ariel jumped slightly at his entrance, but she slid her legs from their curled position on the window seat to cover up her fright. Jeanette, on the other hand, had no such qualms.

"My preence! How could you juss barghe in like zat! You made me mees a steetch and stab my finger!" Ariel stared, dumbstruck, as the brunette looked defiantly up at her superior, her jaw set and eyes squinted.

Eric surprised the princess all the more by laughing in return. "Ah, Jean, you know I didn't mean it!"

The newly dubbed "Jean" rolled her eyes. "Yes, I believed zat excuse ze first few hun-dred times, Bumbling Preence, but you knew I was in here, and you made a szeen anyhow!"

The prince raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Would you like me to 'kees eet and make eet bet-air?'" Jeanette swatted at him with her good hand, but she was blushing. Then she looked over at Ariel, who was watching them curiously, and sobered.

"I vill, uh, go dress ze cut." Jeanette stood and landed a slap on Eric's shoulder. "You behave." She ordered before hurrying out of the room.

Eric smiled to himself, picking up the skirt the dressmaker had been working on and sifted the cloth between two fingers. "This is nice material. Did you pick it out?"

Ariel jumped again, then shook her head fervently. The prince grinned at her honesty and let the material drop back onto the chair. "So she picked it out then. That's just like Jean- Jeanette. She can be so pushy sometimes." He chuckled, and Ariel was glad he was so lighthearted and kind. She did not love him, but at least she would not be miserable in his palace.

Eric took a seat on a stool near the window where Ariel was perched.

"The ship is being decorated and the cake prepared as we speak... or rather, as I speak." He informed her a bit uneasily. "All the nobles and my friends and family are invited, though the sunset deadline makes everything a little tight. That's my fault I guess, I've just waited so long for you, I don't want to wait-" Eric leaned on his knees and looked inquiringly into his fiancee's face. "But are you sure there is no one I can invite for you?"

Ariel's eyes widened at the question. She knew that she would probably never see her family again after she turned human; the fact had been pummeled into her head from all the lectures Sebastian had given her about her folly. But the redhead imagined if she had met and lived with and known the prince like she initially planned, she would not even be feeling the regret and guilt she was feeling now. She would have rushed into marriage and thought about the consequences later.

Now, though, she realized that her father would not be there to give her away at her wedding. Her sisters would not be her bridesmaids. Flounder would not be the best man. She was utterly alone, marrying a man she did not love, to avoid the destruction of a kingdom that she contributed to through her selfish actions. She felt like shark bait with no way out.

"What's wrong? I'm sorry-" The prince gasped as fresh tears streamed down her face. He reached out to touch her then reconsidered, wondering if that would be counterproductive. "Is there anything I can do? I-" Ariel sniffed and, heart pounding, reached out her small, pale arms toward the prince.

The prince smiled a small smile, then stood and picked her up effortlessly, his strong arms enveloping her with warmth. She buried her face in his shirt, sobbing silently in mourning for her lost family. Ariel didn't protest when he began to carry her toward the exit.

Jeanette came in when they reached the door, her wounded finger wrapped in a small scrap of cotton. A flash of shock crossed her face when she saw the shaking form in the prince's arms.

"Just pre-wedding jitters," Eric explained lamely. Ariel looked over her shoulder to see who her prince was addressing. "I'm going to keep her with me for the remainder of the evening. You can do the rest without her can't you?"

"I'll be fine- till the final fitting," Jeanette said hesitantly, trying to get her face under control. Eric seemed satisfied with the seamstress's answer, but Ariel knew the look in the woman's eyes. Jeanette was heartbroken. She was in love with the prince.

Ariel turned her face back into Eric's chest. She had already broken one heart today, she would not brood on another.

* * *

"Where is he?" Sable stomped her right foot, hands on her hips. Captain Harris looked up lazily from his maps and slowly withdrew his cigar from his mouth. He exhaled a cloud of smoke in the duchess's general direction.

"Who?"

"You know very well who!" Sable growled. "Jim Hawkins, where is he?"

"I don't reckon I know, missy."

Sable fumed a moment, then hissed slowly, "My cousin orders his presence for supper. NOW."

The captain sighed, situating his captain's hat on the crown of his head. "The boy tol' me not to tell a soul where he is... but I guess you don't have one o' them, eh Sable?"

Sable squinted at the man. "It's _Duchess_ to you."

Captain Harris nodded, waving her comment off. "He's on the spar deck, makin' fishing nets. Don't anger him, awright Duchess? When he checked in an hour ago, he seemed rearin' to strangle a gizzard."

Sable frowned but, acknowledging the captain was trying to be polite to a certain degree, nodded.

Jim growled when she approached, so she stopped a safe ten feet away, though she planted fists on hips to pretend she still had control of the situation.

"Eric sent me. He wants you to come to tea as a special guest."

Jim pulled a knot in the net taut. "Tell him I'm not interested."

Now it was Sable's turn to growl. "Though it was a request, it is common courtesy to acquiesce to a royal family member's invitation."

"I'm not in a courteous mood." The sailor replied, not even looking up from his work.

The duchess seethed, her heart pounding with jealousy. "You told me only three days ago you did not want to get involved with women-"

"- _your_ type of women-"

"And yet here you are, throwing a tantrum over the only one you can't have! What do you even see in her? What-" Sable sat heavily on a nearby barrel. "What does she have that I don't?"

Jim sighed in resignation, his shoulders slacking as he looked over the wide ocean.

"It's like she came out of a storybook. I wasn't looking for her, wasn't expecting her, yet one morning we were both in the wrong place at the right time. And she was everything I needed." Jim sniffed, turning his profile so Sable only saw the back of his head as he wiped his nose against the worn cloth of his shirt. "Heh," he whispered, and the duchess could hear the tears in his voice. "This shirt still smells like her."

"So you really do love her." Sable noted dejectedly.

"Yeah," Jim straightened visibly. "And I venture to think she loves me too. But she's got this whole contract thing going on linked to marriage to your cousin, and if she doesn't go through with it something bad's gonna happen to her. I didn't get the specifics. I won't interfere, but I can't get involved any further. I can't-" Jim's jaw clenched as his profile came back into view. His eyes were dry. "-I won't watch her leave me."

"Why are you telling me all this?" Sable raised a prim eyebrow.

Jim smirked. "Because you can't keep your mouth shut. You tell someone, my feelings leak out, the whole wedding is thrown into scandal and Ariel and I have a chance to sneak away." He went back to his work. "Simple, really."

Sable growled again, angry that he knew her so well. Then she realized what he was doing. "You don't want me to tell anyone, do you?"

The sailor raised his thick eyebrows indifferently. "Is that what I said?"

"You know I would do anything to keep you for myself-"

"-you're shameless, you know that?"

"- and so you told me your scheme to make sure I didn't fulfill it." Sable clenched her teeth. "To protect that stupid girl." Jim smirked again. "But, then why did you tell me anything in the first place?"

Jim threw the net he'd been making aside and used a barrel as leverage to heft himself into his wheelchair. "I dunno. I guess I just needed someone to vent to." He threw her a lopsided smile that made her heart skip a beat. "And I hoped my confession would give you nightmares."

Sable sneered so that her canines were exposed. "You come to tea or I spend the day with you until you do."

Jim winced. "Lead the way."

* * *

She hated to admit it, but when Jim rolled into the immense drawing room, Ariel almost gave an audible sigh of relief. When she had first walked into the huge room, she lost herself among all of the gold leaf and crimson drapery. The murals seemed to muddle together and made her dizzy, and for the first time since she came ashore, the air was thin to her marine-made lungs.

But now that Jim was there, even though she was among a crowd of people, being introduced to this duke and that lord, Ariel felt everything would be OK... at least, as OK as this disaster could get.

"Jim, my friend, you came!" Eric grinned in greeting, slapping the younger man on the back. Ariel beamed as well, though her smile shrunk a few molars when she remembered whose hand she was holding. True to his promise, the prince had accompanied her for the rest of the day, talking to her and trying his best to understand her with the aid of her notepad. And the princess appreciated his faithfulness, she really did. But with Jim there, staring at them, she felt like a traitor caught red-handed. She knew Jim thought she used him, and wished she could meet him away from the finery and bright lights to explain herself.

"Of course I came," Jim was saying, giving the girl only a cursory glance. "I was invited, wasn't I?" Ariel wanted to turn into a crab and crawl away. It was obvious Jim didn't want to be there, but felt he had to to fulfill his duty as Eric's friend.

"Well, who do we have here?" Sable flounced up in a black gown, the neckline almost to her waist, but the lost fabric compensated by the huge skirt and sleeves of the jewel-bedecked dress. "Oh, it's you." She said to the redhead. "You do clean up well. Who would ever know that only five hours ago you were making friends with the rats in the closet." Ariel wanted to take a swing at her, but she couldn't. Not with all of these nobles here and the fate of her home riding on this marriage. However, when the duchess swung an arm around Jim's shoulders and he didn't shrug her off, Ariel's face fell and her heart ached. "He's my escort." Sable explained. "And he'll behave this time, right James?"

Jim barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Sure, yeah." Now he did look at Ariel and met her gaze. His steel blue eyes pierced her ultramarine ones, and she gave a little gasp. Her eyes narrowed as she detected the hint of a smile at the corner of the sailor's mouth. Ariel clutched Eric's hand tighter. Jim was playing with her!

"What is it? Do you want something?" The prince asked, feeling the extra pressure on his fingers.

"She wants a lot of things." Jim said under his breath. Ariel glared at him, but she could not be mad at him, because he was right.

'I would really like a- a, umm- drink. A drink, yes!' She jabbered nervously. Eric stared blankly at her until she pantomimed drinking from a cup, and the prince's eyes lit up in realization.

"Oh, you want something to drink! Of course! Right this way..." as they left, Eric sent Jim a precarious look over his shoulder. He, too, had heard the sailor's last remark, and wondered what he meant.

Eric called for order, and all of the nobles gathered in groups of eight and ten around dainty tables set with fragile china, tiny pastries, and tea sandwiches. Jim and Sable sat at the prince's table, since Jim was the guest of honor, alongside Grimsby, a couple of Eric's close friends, and Captain Harris. Ariel was situated between Grimsby and Eric, with Jim across the table from her. She tried to catch his eye as Eric greeted everyone and encouraged them to help themselves, but he refused to meet her gaze. Ariel finally hung her head, looking blankly into her lap in dejection, until the server asked the prince, "Coffee or tea, sire?"

"Tea, please." Eric smiled at the middle aged servant. The man filled the prince's cup, bowed, then crossed over behind Ariel and began to pour her tea as well. The redhead shook her head frantically and covered her cup with both her hands.

"Madam?"

"Ariel?" Eric queried, his cup halfway to his lips.

The girl began to sign rapidly, holding her cup away from the server and pointing repeatedly at the other pot he held.

"Ariel, do you not like tea?"

"I'm sorry madam, I don't know what you're-"

"She says she wants coffee." Jim said quietly. The prince and server fell silent, and the princess stopped signing. They all stared at him. The sailor himself didn't even look up from his own plate.

Eric turned to Ariel. "Is that right? Do you want coffee?"

The girl nodded elatedly, relieved at being understood.

"But coffee isn't for the _ladies_." The waiter protested politely.

"It's my fault." Jim began again, fixing his steely gaze on the server. "While she was staying with me, we drank coffee. It's all she's used to."

The server's eyebrows rose slightly, but he wasn't going to argue with the prince's daunting guest. "Well, if the lady insists." The waiter filled Ariel's proffered cup with the dark liquid.

"Oh, and three sugars and two creams." Jim added, a smirk tugging on the edge of his smile when Eric looked at him inquiringly. "We drank a lot of coffee." The sailor shot Ariel a smug glance that made her blush. (She was grateful that the palace maids had taught her how to use rouge, or her embarrassment would have been painfully obvious.) Jim noticed her timidity at his attention, though, and sat back in his chair, content to watch her squirm under the uncertainty of her feelings. However, Sable decided Jim was not showing her enough attention, so the unfortunate spacer spent the next few minutes batting the duchess's hands away from his legs while the princess calmed herself and resignedly sipped her coffee.

After the guests had had time to drink their coffee and pretend not to devour dainty treats, Eric stood, tapping on the edge of his teacup with a spoon to gain the nobles' attention.

"As you all know," he began, "today, my friend Jim Hawkins has reunited me with the girl who saved me the night of the shipwreck," the prince smiled warmly at Ariel, "and she is the woman of my dreams." The audience "awww"ed appropriately.

Jim, though his cold front had been thus far effective, faltered at the term of endearment. His eyes cut to Ariel who, though he knew she had watched him earlier, now pointedly avoided his gaze, her eyes locked on her handsome prince. The spacer slumped farther into his wheelchair, glaring at Sable when she attempted to touch him, then turned his glare onto the speaker.

"After much conversation with my fiancee," Jim held back a condescending 'tsk' at the word 'conversation,' "we have decided to be married as soon as possible, this evening, before sunset." Now, the whole room broke into surprised gossip and cries of protest. Jim's glare faltered. Right on schedule. What was so important that Ariel needed to marry so soon?

"The wedding will not be extravagant or expensive, just simple and surrounded by our friends," the prince reassured his excitable court. As he talked, Eric offered his hand to Ariel, and the princess dutifully took it, rising to her feet beside her future husband. "But anything will be wonderful," the prince said, taking both of Ariel's hands, "if we're together."

Jim looked away, his heart clenching, as everyone "awwwww"ed again. His wandering eyes caught sight of someone standing at the slightly open double doors to the hall. She was a bit rotund, with cropped brown hair that had some curl in it. The woman was holding a long, white bag, and she was staring at the happy couple, her green eyes shiny. Jim watched her curiously till the applause quieted, and Eric continued,

"Now I'd like to make a special announcement." Jim felt his stomach turn like a bad omen. The sailor looked back at the prince with pensive curiosity in his eyes. Eric was smiling at him.

"Jim, you've been such a great friend since you arrived here. You saved my life and then, while I was away, found and took care of the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. I owe you more than my eternal gratitude."

Ariel looked at Jim with alarmed wide, blue eyes, and the youth met her gaze, finding comfort in her oceanic orbs as Eric pronounced,

"James Hawkins, I would like you to be my best man."

* * *

As the aftermath to the prince's surprising news died down, Jeanette finally made it past the entryway and retrieved Ariel for a final fitting. Well, not so much "retrieved" as "kidnapped," pulling the the ex-mermaid away from the prince like she was she was pulling a barnacle off a ship hull.

Jim escaped before too many people approached him to congratulate him (not many nobles liked to talk to commoners, much less the standoffish sailor), and rolled away without Sable noticing amidst her chronic flirting with the Duke of Snell.

Jim caught up with Ariel and Jeanette about halfway to Jeanette's studio.

'Jim?' Ariel asked in wonderment, her breath catching.

"Mr. Haw-keens?" Jeanette raised an eyebrow. "Do you need any-sing?"

Jim nodded, a bit breathless himself from working his arms so hard in his flight. "Yeah- I need to speak to Ariel alone for a minute. Do you mind? I'll escort her to your room when we've finished talking." Ariel nodded ecstatically, and Jeanette nodded hesitantly in return.

"Zat would be fine. Just do not taek too long. We have much work to accomp-leesh."

"No problem."

Jim and Ariel watched as the seamstress walked away, then Jim tapped the girl's arm and pointed to a small service passageway they could duck into.

"Ariel, this is killing me." Jim said once they were safely hidden. His hushed voice was low and husky, which slightly distracted his female companion for a moment. "This whole situation is turning me into someone I don't want to be, and I know being Eric's best man will put me well past my breaking point." He looked at her, his gaze softer than it had been since they arrived. "I didn't know I'd be this jealous." Ariel blushed and averted her eyes. Jim hurriedly continued.

"So, no offense to you and only a little offense to Eric, but I cannot be his best man. You understand, don't you?" Ariel nodded. "So, I need you to... tell Eric you don't want me to be."

Ariel, who had been staring at the chipping crimson paint on the wall, jerked her attention back to her friend. He was watching her intently. "I absolutely cannot be any part of that wedding. But if Eric tells me I have to, I have to, to keep him from suspecting anything."

Ariel felt like crying, but she wasn't sure why. 'Why?' She asked.

Jim flushed. "You know very well why." He said, a bit irritably. "I have- feelings for you."

'No,' Ariel blushed more crimson than the wall. 'I mean, why are you doing all of this for me?' She looked down at her clasped hands. 'And how can I repay you?'

"You know why I'm doing this," he replied, taking her clasped hands in his. He watched their fingers intertwine. "And repay me by being happy." He looked up, and she pursed her lips, faked a smile, and nodded in promise.

"We should probably head to Jeanette's." Jim observed, releasing her hands and turning his wheelchair with little effort. "She'll be wondering-"

Suddenly, Ariel was in front of him, leaning forward until their cheeks were pressed together, her lips near his left ear.

"Ariel what-"

'I hate this.' She said, clamping her hands around Jim's wrists, holding him at bay. 'I hate this marriage, I hate not being able to explain everything, I hate that I'm causing you pain. This is hurting me, too.'

"Ariel-" The princess could feel the heat in his face increase against her cheek. "Ariel, I can't understand-"

'Just let me hold you, this one last time, and know that, whatever happens, I will always, always love you. So love me, please.' She felt an unruly tear trail down her face. 'Love me.'

She rolled her face toward Jim's so that she planted a kiss on his cheek before she drew away, releasing his wrists. 'I know the way to Jeanette's from here, so you do not have to accompany me.' She smiled sweetly at her companion as he rubbed the part of his cheek she had kissed. 'And I will speak with Eric.' Ariel bit her bottom lip, fighting back tears. 'Thank you, Jim. For everything.'

Then she left, and Jim sat back in his chair, head tipped back, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands. "Don't do that," he said softly. "Don't say that. Don't leave."

* * *

Ariel slid into Jeanette's large studio silently, closing the door with one hand and rubbing her cheek with the other.

"What was zat all about?" Jeanette asked. The seamstress did not raise her head to see the response, however, so Ariel only shrugged.

"Stand on ze po-dium."

The princess did as was told, shrugging on the almost finished gown and turning to face the trifold mirror. The reflected spectacle nearly took her breath away.

Jeanette, who was trying very hard to be angry with the prince's fiancee, couldn't help but smile as the girl twirled on the small stool, holding the layered skirts in balled fists. The ocean blue eyes sparkled for the first time since Jeanette met her, and the French woman bit her lower lip, wondering if the girl wasn't a good soul after all. Then she was all business again.

"I'm- glad you like eet." Ariel turned and grinned at her, white teeth shining. The seamstress shook her head briefly, picked up her sowing kit, and knelt at the level of the dress's hem.

"Keep still." She ordered.

After a few minutes of quiet refitting, Jeanette broke the silence. "Do you love heem?" Ariel's heart wrenched at the words, and she looked down at the dressmaker guiltily.

The older woman looked up, read the redhead's expression, and nodded slowly. She stood, taking the girl's hand tentatively.

"Do not worr-ee." Jeanette said. "I don't know why yoo are doing zis to yoor-self, but I won't tell anee-one. You make heem... happy. And I can see from ze way you act around heem, that you want heem to be happy- and so do I."

A single tear ran down the slopes of Ariel's face as she nodded in understanding, a picture of Jim flashing across her mind.

"Well now, we must get you to ze hairdress-airs and like-such so you can be redee for- redee."

Ariel nodded again; she found it was the only thing she could do. Forget pre-wedding jitters. She felt like she was going to self-destruct.

* * *

Sable found Jim at the entrance of Eric's private chambers, on his crutches again. He was tapping his good foot impatiently.

"What do _you_ want?" The sailor asked bitterly, hobbling so his back was toward the duchess.

Sable was wearing a light blue dress that reminded him painfully of the sleeveless gown he had bought Ariel (had it been only yesterday?), though Sable's was much less conservative in the bust area. She flounced up to him, her red lips spread into a wide smile that faltered only slightly at his harsh greeting.

"The wedding ship is boarding," she informed him. "I've come to fetch you-"

"I'm not your escort," he growled, and the small ferret on Jim's shoulder hissed as well. Sable took a step back, but persisted.

"But you're still a part of the ceremony, so come-" she pulled on the apprentice's arm, but Jim leaned heavily on his bad side to counteract her weight, then jerked his arm to shake her off. "You don't mean to tell me... you're still trying to get out of it?" She scoffed, ignoring Jim's baleful looks. "You've tried- how many times in the past four hours? And all you accomplished was getting out of being best man because the fiancee convinced him that Grimsby has been his friend longer, and so deserves the honor. Did you put her up to that?"

"You weren't in the room when she said that. How did you-"

"Oh, isn't the pot calling the kettle black! I heard the same way _you_ did. There is more than one keyhole in the palace, you know." Jim blushed, ashamed for participating in the same underhanded activities as the duchess.

"He'll get suspicious, you know." Sable continued. "He'll wonder why you are so bloody against attending his wedding." Jim rolled his eyes, angry that she was right. She noticed the look and grinned with triumph. The spacer rubbed his eyebrows in thought.

"I'm still going to try." He decided. "If it doesn't work this time..."

"I'll go lay out your clothes!" Sable bustled off, mumbling about matching, and Jim growled at the duchess's confidence in his failure. He snarled.

"I'd rather go naked."

* * *

"Oh, hello Jim!" Eric smiled over his shoulder at his friend as the sailor slipped into the room. A hoard of tailors were buzzing around the prince, who had his arms lifted crucifix-style to allow them more access.

Eric's wedding suit was compiled of a white jacket with shoulder patches fringed with gold, making him look more princely than Jim, and he suspected the rest of the kingdom, had ever seen him. However, the ensemble reflected Eric's homely style with navy blue trousers and black, knee high combat boots.

Eric jumped down from the low podium, scattering the tailors with a wave of his hand.

Straightening his cuffs, Eric sauntered toward his friend, his gait proud but his eyes hopeful. The prince gave Jim's face a cursory glance before turning away again, his blue eyes hardened.

"No, Jim. You're going, and that's that."

Jim bit his lip, swallowing back anger and frustration he knew the prince didn't deserve. "But Eric, getting on a ship in a wheelchair, I don't think that's the best idea-"

"What is it, Jim?" Eric said abruptly, rounding on the sailor, as angry as Jim had ever seen him. "Why are you so averse to attending my wedding? Are you trying to stress me out even more? I already have to deal with all the last-minute planning, the gossip and disdain of the court-"

"They don't like her?" Jim asked, feeling defensive in spite of himself.

"They like her well enough, they just didn't pick her themselves." Eric ran a hand through his thick, black hair. "I can see where they are coming from, I suppose. If I were in their shoes, I would be suspicious of a strange girl showing up out of the blue to marry the only heir to the throne. I guess, being the smitten prince, I cannot see what they see."

Jim rubbed the back of his neck guiltily.

"Anyway, now you can see why I need all the allies I can muster at the ceremony. So tell me, Jim, why do you want to stay behind so badly?"

The spacer hung his head, then shook it briefly, steeling himself for what he was about to say. "Fine. I will go to your wedding." He looked up to see Eric beaming at him, the tirade completely forgotten. "But I am inot/i wearing the clothes Sable lays out for me."

Eric raised an eyebrow, but shrugged as the tailors led him back to the pedestal for more fittings.

"Fine," he called as Jim hobbled out of the room. "Whatever you say."

* * *

**And the end of chapter 11.  
They've both come so far, and now it all seems to be unraveling. Don't give up, star-crossed couple. /cheesy narrator voice**

**Believe it or not, this story is popular enough on this, and other, sites, that I have started the book-making process!  
The books are $15-$20 (it's on a donation basis), and can be sent to my Paypal at .  
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**


	12. Secrets Revealed

The wedding yacht was more beautiful than Ariel could have imagined. The ship had three stories, with a ballroom below deck and a plethora of private quarters and sitting rooms for the guests. Palace folk worked busily through their suppertime to prepare the wedding ship, but it was no bother; no one could eat out of anticipation for the night's events. Ariel watched from her fourth story window in the palace as Chef Louie animatedly instructed some unfortunate sailors how to wheel the seven-tiered wedding cake aboard.

"Are sings going smooth-lee?" Jeanette asked from the other side of the room where she was making final adjustments on the wedding veil. Again, however, the seamstress did not look up for an answer, so Ariel only smiled and turned back to the window. She was excited, in spite of herself.

She would have a charmed life, to say the least. She kept the standard of living she was used to by marrying a prince, and she loved the subjects of his kingdom. Her future husband cared for her immensely, and she felt she could care for him as well. He was her first love, after all. He would be a good counterbalance for her adventurous, most times reckless, personality, and she could continue learning about humans- _from a real human this time,_ she thought before she could stop herself. The princess bit her lip and pivoted away from the window, the sea, and the future, and watched Jeanette work in forced silence.

* * *

Sebastian arrived at Ursula's prison an hour before sunset, the dark corridors of her lair made more ominous in the red evening light.

"How ees de prisoner?" He asked one of the four sentry. A blond merman saluted, his eyes not moving from their target in the middle distance. "No activity, sir! Not since she was first captured by the esteemed King Triton."

Sebastian nodded, his claws folded behind his back. "As yoo were," he intoned, scuttling into the inner chambers. There he found ten more guards, along with a captain of the force.

Ursula herself hung on the wall like a fish caught in a human's net, her head hanging and arms limp as the gold magic pulsed around her. The small crab felt a sense of patriotic pride at his sovereign's handiwork, but composed himself before turning to the captain.

"She ees awf-lee quiet there, sol-deer." He noted offhandedly. "Wot do yoo make of eet?"

"Nothing, sir," the captain said just as indifferently, meeting the crab's gaze. "I do not know much about witch-folk, though I do know they are slippery creatures. We'll make sure not to let down our guard."

Sebastian nodded in approval and made his way to the exit, his wary heart a bit lighter. He reached the mouth of the cell before a guttural voice uttered,

"I'm still in the game, you pompous side-walker."

The sea witch sneered, straining to point in a corner where Ariel's contract lay. "As long as that contract is still in existence, it has not been fulfilled. If the contract still there by sunset, I will have the collateral I need to be set free, and then some."

Sebastian knew he should not retort, but he could not keep himself from saying; "Dee king has sent hees best mermen to de surface to retrieve Aryal should the spell remain unbroken."

"And you think that will stop me?" Ursula cackled, throwing her head back and crowing at the ceiling, "This has only begun, Triton! This has only begun!"

The court composer motioned for the mer-captain to follow him out of the inner sanctum into the corridor.

"Double de gawd, and keep de sol-deers fresh," he instructed, trying not to shake in his shell as Ursula's peals of sardonic laughter pierced through the bone walls. "Shee ees only biding her time."

* * *

"Hawkins, my lad, good ta' see ya on a ship agin!" Captain Harris beamed at his apprentice, and Jim had to smile in return.

"Me too, Captain," he replied, petting his parakeet's breast absentmindedly, "Though I don't know how I'll get my sea legs while in this bloody chair."

Harris clucked at the boy's language. "Hey now, lad. I'm sure we have some spare parts around here a ways, and with yer brains, ye could fix ya up a new set o' brakes, I'd say."

Jim grinned. It would be nice to work on something, calm his nerves. "Yeah, that would be great. Where are they?"

The captain stroked his beard, his mind running through ship's schematics. "Aye," he mumbled, finding what he wanted. "On the fourth level below deck, in the cargo bay."

"Thanks cap'n," Harris's apprentice haled, rolling away.

"Oi, what's that you got there, then?"

Jim looked over his shoulder at the oblong object wrapped in tarp and strapped to the back of his wheelchair that his mentor motioned to. "Oh, nothing," he murmured, "Just a pet project."

Sable found him right before the ceremony.

"Stubborn up to the end, I see." She huffed, holding open the door to the kitchen closet with her elbow. Jim turned his head slightly, his back to her.

"I was working on my brakes. But I- don' t think they will be sufficient. I should stay here where I can't- roll off."

Sable just stared holes at the back of his head. He sighed.

"It's the end, isn't it?" He heard the duchess's disgust in her heavy sigh.

"You're so emotional for a sailor." She grumbled. "Come on, or you'll miss-" Sable corrected herself midstream "- or I'll get Eric to come get you."

The moody youth pivoted so abruptly that Sable jumped. He glared at her, then wheeled himself out the door. "You can't just leave me be? No one would miss me, and I would give anything..."

He trailed off, so Sable picked up the conversation.

"The hard truth is, your little crush is getting _married_. You can't delude yourself with happily ever afters. Face the fact that she will never be yours." Sable grinned tightly at him. "Life isn't a fairy tale."

Jim, who had been watching the duchess out of the corner of his eye, looked dejectedly down again, his throat dry and jaw clenched in anger.

"Is that what you told all those men you dumped?"

Sable stared at him in surprise.

"It's not fair." Jim looked straight into the noble's eyes, his own shining with unshed tears. "I only want her!"

* * *

Triton turned away from his scrying mirrors as the wedding procession began, as if it were a family member's execution. He never imagined his little Ariel's wedding day like this. Maybe it would not have been so heart-breaking if he knew she would be happy, but after seeing the way she looked at the alien boy, even her happiness was uncertain. The future of his kingdom also rested on the shoulders of his baby.

"Oh, Ariel," the king sighed sadly. "How do you get mixed up in these things?"

"Um, ex-kyuse me, Mah-jesty?" Sebastian's voice came from the entrance to the king's chambers. "De sea witch is se-kyua fo de time being. But..."

Triton looks inquiringly down at the crab when he did not continue. The composer was shaking uncontrollably.

"Sebastian?"

Sebastian swallowed hard, "Doo yoo have a plan to save her, Mah-jesty?"

"No, Sebastian, I don't," the king replied, turning away again. He looked up toward the surface, his eyes steely and teeth clenched in determination. "But I promise you, I will do whatever it takes to keep her safe."

* * *

Ursula smiled toothily as the sea reddened with the last rays of the sun. If the princess was as much of a sap as her father, the sea, and possibly the galaxy, would soon be hers.

* * *

Prince Eric took his place in front of the assembly, his knees trembling as the guests finished situating themselves and focusing their attention on him.

Even the queen- my mother- showed up, he thought nervously, nodding slightly at the middle-aged, auburn haired woman smiling at him. I haven't seen her in nearly two years, due to trouble in the North. She hasn't met Ariel yet. What if she disapproves? What if-

Grimsby, noticing his master's discomfort, lay a hand on the heir's shoulder.

"Everything will go swimmingly I'm sure, Your Highness." The butler reassured. "Do not focus on the crowd, all that matters is-"

The processional music started, drowning out the best man's words. Eric would not have heard his butler anyway. His heart pounded in his ears as the doors to the captain's quarters opened and the woman of his dreams walked out.

She was so beautiful Jim thought his broken heart would fall out of his chest. Her dress was pure white, sparkling in the evening sun and making her glow like an angel among mortals. The sailor pushed to the front of the crowd in spite of himself, needing to see her, as she glided to the altar. He smiled slightly as she reached over to pet Max on the head as she walked past, not minding in the least that he licked her perfectly manicured hand. That French seamstress had done an excellent job of accentuating her most appealing features. The silhouette emphasized Ariel's small waist, and the green trim made her loose, long hair fierier. Her bright blue eyes shone, brought out by her modest make-up. However, there was a shadow in those eyes that caused a crease between Jim's thick eyebrows.

"Dearly Beloved," the priest began. Every muscle in Jim's body tensed, his old indignation rising in him. He did not notice he wheelchair was moving into the aisle until he felt himself being pulled backward. He looked over his shoulder in mild annoyance, then his face pulled into a grimace when he saw Sable grasping the handles. That's right, he recalled, Sable had managed to stand next to him in the crowd of spectators and had been pestering him with her usual unwelcome attentions since the beginning of the ceremony. When Ariel stepped onto the deck, though, Sable and everything else melted away.

"I do," he heard Eric say. Jim's stomach dropped, and his throat closed in panic. He could not be there. This was worse than torture on the prison planet in sub-sector nine. Cruel and unusual punishment. They could not make him stay.

Jim looked about frantically for an escape route as the priest turned to the bride, a kind look in his senile eyes.

"And do you, Ariel, take Prince Eric to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

Ariel bit her lip at the question. This was the moment of truth. In a moment, she would say 'I do', kiss the prince, and then her father and his kingdom would be free of a witch's wrath- and a princess's stupidity. Her eyes drifted over the crowd, then back to the prince, who was smiling lovingly at her.

'I-'

Then, she realized something- someone- was missing. Ariel jerked her head back to the audience, her ocean blue eyes watering as she strained to find the person she knew in her heart was no longer present.

'Jim.' The ex-mermaid looked down at the hands Eric was holding, then squeezed her eyes shut to hold back her tears, pretending she had seen what she hadn't.

"What? Is something wrong?" The prince asked worriedly, the crowd of nobles twittering in the background. The priest repeated the question.

"Ariel, do you take Prince Eric to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

Ariel wasn't listening, her head buzzing with her own thoughts. Jim wasn't there. She knew it sounded sick, but she couldn't go through with it if he wasn't there. She wanted to be able to see his face in the audience of strangers and pretend she was making these oaths to him. Because she loved him, more than she knew she could love anyone. And now he was gone, and she lost the will to do what was necessary. But now, finally, she knew what was _right_. She had to find Jim. She had so much to atone for, and little time to do it in. But first,

Ariel looked into Eric's inquiring eyes and smiled reassuringly, her grin so radiant that Eric's breath caught. Taking the opportunity, Ariel leaned in and kissed the prince's cheek. 'I'm-,' she began, then stopped.

She wasn't sorry. She had no regrets. Whatever happened to her she had only herself to blame, but for the first time in her life, she didn't care.

So instead, she mouthed, 'You'll be fine,' and squeezed his hands one last time before pulling away. With a grin Ariel gathering her skirts and barreled down the aisle faster than she had run from the renegade sailors at the bar. Cries of shock and fresh waves of gossip from the nobles accumulated in her wake, but none attempted to retrieve her, not that she would have let them. Now, if I were an alien sailor looking for somewhere to mope, she thought euphorically, where would I hide? A familiar form to the right of the captain's quarters caught her eye. Jim's wheelchair. He must have left it there to go below deck to- the kitchen. Ariel kicked off her high heels and ran down the nearest staircase, searching frantically for the galley.

* * *

Jim managed to escape Sable's grasp and, his handler held back by the queen herself, wheeled to the head of the stairs before the priest asked Ariel the fateful question. The youth abandoned his chair in his haste to reach the solace of the lower decks before the ceremony had concluded and the celebrations began. Now, hearing the roar of voices above deck, his chin hit his chest in defeat.

"I guess it's over, Morph." The spacer sighed. His pet chirruped worriedly, sliding over his owner's face in a sweet caress. Jim attempted a small smile to sooth the shape shifter, but the action only served to squeeze barely withheld tears from the corners of his eyes. Finally, the spacer broke down.

"Why did it have to be her, Morph?" He asked in hushed, jerky tones, a sob racking his frame. "I had sworn never to fall in love- and I am infatuated by the prince's fiancee? Does Fate hate me so much? I know I will eventually get over this- once I'm back among the stars and away from this blasted planet, all this will be just a bad memory- but why-?" He pushed the heels of his palms against his eyes, trying in vain to stop the flow of tears. "Why do I love her so much I could die?" Suddenly Morph, who had been lightly massaging Jim's left temple, began vibrating excitedly, cooing and chirping rapidly.

"What is it, boy?" Jim looked around the kitchen hurriedly for any intruders or dangers, his hand flying to a knife hidden in his boot.

Then he heard it, too. Above the din of the prince's guests, the patter of bare feet on wood and heavily breathing echoed against the walls. The doors to the kitchen exploded open, and Jim's jaw dropped.

Ariel stood panting in the doorway, her hair wild and skirt ripped in one place where she had tripped over it. Her hands clutched the doorjamb, bracing her against it.

"A-Ariel?" Jim said breathlessly.

The girl looked up at the sound of his voice, and her eyes glassed over. 'Jim!' In an impressive display of prowess, the princess vaulted over the table separating them, using her recoil on landing to spring herself into Jim. The impact nearly knocked him off the bench he was straddling, but he didn't care. Jim wrapped his arms around her, pressing his tear-streaked face into her hair. He wasn't stupid: if she was here, there was only one explanation.

"You didn't go through with the wedding." He stated.

Jim nearly laughed in relief when she shook her head into his shoulder. Ariel locked her hands behind his back and sighed contentedly, shivering when her sailor pressed a kiss on the crown of her head. It was only a matter of minutes before the sun set and Ursula came to claim her prize. For now, though, Ariel would enjoy being where she knew she was meant to be.

* * *

Sebastian watched in horror as Ariel ran away from her prince in search of the sailor boy. She knew there could only be one outcome, how could she betray her father in this way?

The crab looked over his shoulder in trepidation, afraid of how the sea king would react. To his surprise, as the scrying mirrors showed Ariel jumping into the spacer's arms, King Triton's lips stretched into a little smile.

"Finally." He breathed.

"Sire?"

"Sebastian," the king intoned, folding his arms behind his back. "There is only so much a father can do for his children. For example, I cannot ensure their happiness in a forced marriage. But protect them from the clutches of a sea witch," He grinned wickedly at his consort. "That, I can do."

* * *

The guards outside of Ursula's prison didn't know their prisoner had escaped until they were blown into the walls by a wave of black magic, the last rays of the sun disappearing over the horizon. The captain coughed as clouds of black ink flooded the inner chamber, shielding the witch's flight path from view.

"Is everyone all right?" He yelled hoarsely over the groans of his fallen mermen. "Sound off!" By the time the soldiers were all accounted for, the ink had been swept away by the currents. The captain swam into the inner room to investigate.

"Gone," he sighed. He glanced in the corner. "And the contract, too. All right, men. Back to the palace. We've done all we can here. We can only report in and be ready for further orders."

King Triton looked up and away suddenly, his nose against the currents.

"Wh-wot is eet, sire?" Sebastian asked nervously.

"Ink. In the water." Triton frowned. "Ursula-"

A frantic seahorse darted into the king's chambers, his eyes wide with panic. "Ursula has escaped, my lord!"

* * *

As Ariel watched the sun set through the kitchen's wall-long window, she knew she should feel afraid of what was to come. But with her head on Jim's shoulder, his hands stroking her hair, she felt like the world was finally right. Whatever happened, it wasn't because she was too late or someone was unfair. It was because she chose _him_.

'It's almost time.'

"Huh?"

The princess pulled away from her love, though they remained touching. Jim cupped her cheek with his hand, and she leaned into it.

'I love you.' She said, staring into his steely blue eyes.

He grinned, then blushed slightly at his joy. "I- love you, too."

Ariel smiled, too. She took one of his hands in hers and stood.

'Jim, I have to go away for a while.'

The sailor's smile faded and he stood as well, tilted toward his good leg. "What? Why?"

'I have to repay a debt. Jim, I- haven't been very honest with you.' Jim rolled his eyes in agreement. 'But believe me, after I get out of this, I will find you, no matter what.'

"And how long will that be? I'm not going to be on this planet forever-"

Ariel put two fingers to his lips, and he felt a buzz of electricity on his skin.

'This isn't up for debate. I _must_ leave.' Ariel looked down sheepishly, her face almost as red as her hair. 'But before I go,'

"I can't see your face, Ariel. I can't understand you-"

She looked up abruptly, her eyes urgent. 'Will you kiss me?'

Jim blushed as well, but the girl did not have to ask a second time. In one fluid motion, Jim drew Ariel into his arms and pulled her into a full, blissful kiss.

After a couple seconds Jim drew away, pressing his forehead to hers and smiling brightly.

"Your lips taste salty." He chuckled, moving his hands to her face.

Ariel blushed, a bit embarrassed by her apparently odd flavor.

Jim laughed again. "Don't worry, I like salty things."

He leaned in for another kiss and Ariel accepted, throwing her arms around his neck to keep him close. This might be the last time they were together, and it broke her heart to know it was all her fault. I love you, Jim. She thought as he deepened the kiss, and she poured all of her feelings for him into their touch. I love you.

In the rabble following the bride's flight, Sable managed to escape her aunts grasp, fighting her way through the confused crowd. She knew where the tramp must have gone.

"And Jim had assured me she had no feelings for him." The duchess hissed, pulling up her skirts as she carefully descended the stairs. "She is so fickle. That wench does not deserve him."

Well, at least soon he will be all mine, she thought, remembering the witch's promise. A sinister smile crossed over her red lips. Sable reached the kitchen door, which was hanging open. What she saw made her face flame with anger and her heart ice over with hate.

That redheaded vixen was kissing her Jim! And Jim was kissing her back! Sable's fists clenched until her nails cut into her own flesh. With a loud cry she sprinted into the room, slamming headlong into the couple. In their surprise, the two released each other, and Jim lost his balance and fell to the ground. His well-being did not concern the duchess, however. Sable grabbed Ariel by the shoulders and shook her hard.

"What gives you the right?" She shrieked. "Jim is mine! You have a bloody _prince_, why do you have to take Jim from me?"

"I'm not- yours, Sable." Jim grunted as he recovered.

"Stay out of this, cheater!" Sable ordered before turning back to her victim. "Well, what is your answer?"

Ariel was extremely irritated. She only had seconds left with Jim before the sun set on her life forever, and yet this barnacle had the gall to interfere.

'I'll give you my answer,' Ariel sneered, and kneed Sable hard in the stomach. Sable doubled over with a gasp, but before her foe could rush to Jim's side, the scorned woman rammed headfirst into the redhead, using her bent position to hold the other girl captive once again. Ariel beat on Sable's back, reaching out for Jim and screeching indignantly.

"There's no room- for two women in Jim's life," the duchess grunted, pushing Ariel toward the large window. "So sleep- with the fishes." With one last, violent push, the duchess hoisted the princess into the glass pane, the force breaking the frosted glass and sending the ex-mermaid tumbling five stories to the sea below.

Jim clambered to his feet and hobbled to the window, gripping the windowsill despite the jagged glass which cut his hands.

"What were you thinking?" He shrieked at the duchess, who also looked out the window to see if her victim resurfaced. Then she turned to Jim, her chocolate brown eyes cold.

"I was fulfilling my side of a bargain."

"What- never mind." Jim pushed off the windowsill and away from Sable. "If you thought this would. in some way, make me like you..." The sailor leaned on the tables around him as he limped over to the pantry. "...you are mistaken. Severely. Let me- put things in perspective for you." Jim opened the door to the kitchen closet with a heave and dragged out a long package from within. "If everyone on Earth were killed by an asteroid and you and I were the last two people on the _planet_, I would _still_ die a virgin." He unwrapped the package to reveal a long, flat piece of machinery. "Something is wrong with you, Sable. Can I suggest getting a psychiatrist, or maybe a friend?" He folded an odd sort of stand out of the machine strapped his cast to it.

"C-can't you be my friend?" Sable asked desperately, realizing the gravity of her actions through the hate in his eyes.

"Not that kind of friend, Sable." Jim's right foot slid back and flipped a switch, causing the engine to sputter to life. "I'm going to go clean up your mess, but don't think you're getting off the hook. I doubt even a duchess can get out of an attempted murder charge." The spacer grinned savagely when the duchess jumped back as the machine began to hover above the ground. "Have a nice life."

* * *

Ariel hadn't hit the water before the night began to do its work. By the time the waves caught her, her tail had grown back and she could breathe underwater, but the soaked wedding dress pulled her down. She wrestled the gown over her head; the mermaid had worn her seashell top as a precaution, and was secretly proud of her forethought.

This done, she swam as fast as she could in the direction of Atlantica. Maybe luck was on her side, and she could reach the castle before Ursula-

"Not so fast, little princess." Ariel gave out a silent cry as a lasso of yellow magic circled her. Ursula chuckled as the princess wriggled in her bonds.

"Did you really think you were going to get away so easily?" The sea witch chortled, reeling Ariel in. She grabbed ahold of the girl's arm, and the lasso collapsed into a scroll in the witch's hand.

"I love these new binding contracts." Ursula grinned. "So versatile. Very handy for cooking, reaching high objects- trapping your nemesis's daughter-" The witch snapped her fingers and Flotsam and Jetsam emerged from the shadows, wrapping themselves tightly around Ariel's arms. The mermaid struggled to loosen their hold, growling like Jim did when the witch laughed at her folly. "Come," Ursula ordered her minions, still smiling viciously, "We've got a bigger fish to catch."

* * *

The nobles on the top deck scattered in confusion and fear as a strange flying machine shot from behind the quarter deck, hurtling high into the sky before nosediving back toward the ship.

"Witchcraft!" They screeched.

"Sorcery!"

"Suicide!"

Eric, seated at the foot of the altar with his chin in his hands, did not look up until the contraption sputtered to a stop in front of him, the roar of the engine almost drowning out the screams of the court. The prince looked up with a start, his thoughts scattered.

"J-Jim?" He stammered, his eyes wide at the scene before him. "W-what is this thing?"

"A solar surfer." Jim replied shortly. "No time to explain. Ariel's in trouble."

"What?"

"Sable pushed her out a window. I need you to lower a lifeboat. I'll meet you port side." Jim pulled back on the surfer's handle and sped off. Eric wasted no time, pushing through the troughs of nobles to reach the lifeboats.

"I need some help over here!" He called to the crew as he jumped into the boat and grabbed the supporting ropes. Captain Harris and two other crew members rushed to the prince's aid.

"Good luck t' ya, lad." He said as Eric dropped toward the sea. "Keep yer wits about ye. Sometin's not right in te waters t'day."

"Thank you, Captain." Eric replied. He let go of the ropes and allowed the boat to fall the last ten feet to the waves below.

When Eric hit the water, Jim was waiting for him. In one fluid motion, he collapsed the surfer's sail, detached his cast from its stand, and landed on the lifeboat's bench with a thud, storing his surfer next to him. Eric hesitantly offered Jim an oar, eyeing the surfer almost nervously. The sailor took the oar without meeting his eyes. He noticed the prince's trepidation, but didn't say a word.

"So," Eric grunted after they began rowing, "What's the plan?"

"She fell out the kitchen window, on the back side of the ship."

"So- this is a simple rescue mission."

Jim groaned inwardly, straining against the current. He looked up at the sky. It had been clear twenty minutes before, but now it looked like a hurricane was brewing. "I wouldn't count on it."

"You can stop staring at me now." Jim rolled his eyes at the prince, who had been glancing between the youth and his solar surfer as they rowed.

"What- are you?"

Jim sighed. "I'm a spacer. A student of the Interstellar Academy, here to learn earth's version of sailing." Eric continued to stare.

"I'm from outer space."

"Ohhh..." Eric's eyes widened. "So that explains-" He gestured to Morph, who turned back into his natural form now that their secret was out.

"Yeah."

"So- Ariel went to you, after she left me at the altar."

Jim blushed, remembering his encounter with the ex-bride. "Yeah- I'm sorry, man. I did not know she was going to do that."

"I don't think she did, either." Eric sighed resignedly. "She loves you, doesn't she?"

Jim shrugged and looked away. This was extremely awkward. "Let's just- focus on the problem at hand, awright?" He suggested. "We're- almost there."

* * *

Sebastian swam frantically away from the palace, running into Flounder on his way to the wedding ship.

"Sebastian?" He asked tentatively. He'd never seen the crab so undone. "Are you o-okay?"

"No ah am not okay!" The composer yelled, trying to push past the fish. "Ah need to see de space boy post haste! Dere ees trouble unda da sea an' we need all de help we cahn get!"

Flounder and Sebastian both swam to the surface together in search of the spacer.

He was easier to find than they expected: he was already on the water in a dinghy, rowing next to the large wedding barge.

"Jim!" Sebastian yelled, standing on Flounder's head and waving his claws. "Jim, mah boy!"

They were still at a distance, but Jim heard his name and looked out to sea quizzically.

"Keep swimming, Flounda," the composer ordered, crouching to stay balanced. "Dis is of de upmos-"

"I know!" Flounder countered, driving forward even harder as the sky grew cloudier. He was afraid. Ariel always got herself into trouble, but it was different this time. More... permanent.

Finally the two marine creatures overtook the small vessel, and Sebastian vaulted onto the rail of the dinghy.

"Jim, ma boy!"

Jim noticed him and smiled tightly at the crustacean. "Sebastian?"

"Yes, eet is I. Li-sen to me, Aryal's in danga!"

"Yeah, Sable threw her overboard."

"WHAT?"

"But Eric and I are going to get her. She can swim, right?"

"Wedda she cahn swim or not ees not de point! Eet's past sunset and de spell has not bin bro-ken! Dis ees a disasta-!"

"Ummm, excuse me," Eric interjected nervously. "But- are you talking to a crab?"

Jim sighed heavily. "Yes. He speaks a dialect of Atlantean I can understand. He has information about Ariel."

"Like how it's been more than ten minutes and she hasn't resurfaced?"

Jim hadn't realized this; the notion of Ariel actually dying never crossed his mind. "You're right." He turned to the crab, pushing the urge to jump overboard and find her to the back of his mind. "You said she's in danger. How can she still be alive?"

The crustacean, gestured off the starboard side into the sea. "See for yo-self."

Though the sea grew choppier by the minute, the water was still clear enough to see thirty feet down to the ocean floor. There, Jim could see two figures. One was obviously Ariel: her bright red hair contrasted harshly with the dull blue environment. The other was a large, dark creature Jim didn't recognize. Then something very near Ariel caught the light. Something green.

Jim did a double take, squinting into the depths. "She-she has a _tail_!" The sailor gasped, nearly dropping his oar.

"Meet Preen-cess Aryal, daughter of King Triton, king of Atlan-tica."

All of the jumbled puzzle pieces in Jim's mind came crashing together, forming a picture he hadn't even dared consider. Ariel was a mermaid. He'd heard the sailors tell talk about the merfolk, but thought they were only superstition. This explained everything. Why he found her on the beach, why she couldn't walk well, why she- why she lied to him. He felt anger and betrayal rise in him, but he quelled it, deciding to dwell on it later.

Jim leaned back into the boat, his mind reeling as Eric looked into the water, trying to see what his friend did. "By all that is good-" he whispered when he realized. "I'd heard stories, but-"

"So the thing- person- next to her is..."

"Ursula, de sea weech." Sebastian explained. "Aryal made a deal wit her. Gave her her voice een return fo human legs. De deal was if Aryal didn't get de kees of true love from de preence by sunset today..." The crab's face clouded over "...she wud belong to de weech fo-eva."

"Who's the dude with the long white hair?" Eric asked, pointing to a figure a short ways off.

"Oh no." The crab breathed.

"What?"

"Dat's de sea king. I hoped to get to yoo and save Aryal before he got hee-a."

"Why?" Jim asked in a low voice, half afraid of the answer.

"Becuz de king-" Sebastian shuddered. "Will give his crown to de witch to save his dau-ta, and de ocean will fall een-to chaos."

* * *

***GASP!* Yeah... that's about all I got.**

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	13. White Wine with Your Calamari?

"Ursula, stop!"

King Triton's voice boomed like thunder, stopping the witch and her captive in their tracks. Ursula smirked at the noble, and her self-satisfied expression made the king grimace.

"O ho ho, King Triton," Ursula hailed, swimming languidly up to ruler. She stroke the trident's pointed prongs enviously. "How _are_ you?"

"Let her go."

Triton's gaze alone could have killed an army of lesser witches, but Ursula faced him head-on. "Not a chance, Triton, she's mine now." The witch unfurled a shining gold document for the king's inspection. "_We_ made a deal."

'I'm sorry, Daddy! I didn't want to!' Ariel wanted so badly to swim into her father's arms, to be safe again. She wanted him to hear her apology and forgive her. Triton turned his head to acknowledge her, and the hurt in his eyes made her heart sink.

Without a word, Triton aimed his trident at the contact, releasing a bolt of energy into it. The force slammed Ursula into a rock face behind her. The witch cackled as the powerful magic dissipated, not leaving even a scratch on the contract. "See?" She taunted. "The contract's legal, binding, and completely unbreakable. Even for you." She paused. "Haven't we been over this before?"

Triton looked over at his daughter desperately.

"Of course," Ursula seemed to reconsider. "I always was a girl with an eye for a _bargain_." Ariel saw where this was going. She shook her head fervently as her father contemplated the sea witch's offer, the contract hovering temptingly close.

'Daddy, please. I can't live with this on my conscience. Don't-'

Suddenly, something sped through the water and hit Ursula squarely in the back, causing the sea witch to double over. Ariel recognized the person instantly as he attempted to strangle the sea witch.

'Jim?'

Ursula easily shook him off, throwing the spacer to the ocean floor. The impact knocked the air from Jim's lungs, sending a cascade of bubbles to the surface. He flailed desperately, but two of Ursula's tentacles pinned him down. She was about to administer the death blow when a sphere of air encased his head, and Triton dragged the gasping spacer from the sea witch's grasp.

"Leave the boy be." Triton said wearily. "He's only trying to help."

"I came to save Ariel." Jim said, a determined edge in his rasping voice.

Ursula laughed cruelly. "You? Save her from me? Stand back, boy, and let the adults do the talking."

"Swim aside, son." Triton said, gentler than Ariel had heard him speak to anyone in a long time. His voice sounded uncomfortably like defeat.

Ursula heard the resignation in the king's tone as well, and the contract once again appeared within Triton's reach.

Jim's eyes widened. "Sir, what are you doing?"

"Nothing that concerns you, alien." Ursula hissed.

"You're signing over your kingdom, aren't you?"

The sea witch growled, saying through clenched teeth. "Be _quiet_."

"No, I won't be quiet." Jim swam so that he floated between the king and the document. "Your Majesty, if you sign that paper, your daughter will die a far more painful death than anything Miss Octopus here can dish out." Triton looked at the sailor abruptly, trying to figure Jim out.

"Oh, I severely doubt that." Ursula cackled.

Jim pressed on. "Think about it; if you allow yourself to be destroyed by Ursula now, there is no guarantee Ariel will be safe. And even if she is spared, she will hold herself accountable for your death for the rest of her life. She just gave up a life with a prince to follow her heart, and she is ready to serve a thousand lifetimes to save your family.

"Please, sir." Jim pleaded, for himself as well as Ariel now. "I know what it's like to grow up without a father, and she needs you to be a strong leader now, not a sea witch's pawn. Just knowing you're alive will give her hope and victory. Please," the spacer fixed his gaze on the king's sea-blue eyes. "If you sign that contract, you condemn your daughter to a living death."

Ursula could feel her upper hand slipping. The space boy proved to be more troublesome than she gave him credit for. If Triton was reminded of his duty to his people, she just might lose him. However, if she acted fast, she could restore Triton's fatherly side with a vengeance.

"Decide, Triton," the sea witch ordered, snapping her fingers ominously. Flotsam and Jetsam released Ariel, and some of the contract's magic split off to encircle her. "Or your daughter dies now, right in front of your eyes." The mermaid gave a silent shriek of terror, the gold magic shriveling her body to the size of a jellyfish.

Triton's eyes widened in horror and his whole body shook. "I'm sorry- Jim. But I can't bear the burden of losing a daughter, not after my wife-" The king straightened. "Besides, sometimes being a strong leader means making the hard decisions."

Jim could see he had lost the fight. "Your Highness, please-"

"Stay out of this, boy!" Ursula raged, shoving him aside. She moved in closer to the sea king. "So, do we have a deal?"

King Triton took a deep breath and, with a heavy exhale, signed the document.

"It's done then!" The sea witch crowed triumphantly.

Ariel rapidly grew back to her normal size as the magic zipped over to her father, reducing him to a small polyp in seconds.

As Ariel rushed to her father's side, Ursula picked up the crown and trident reverentially. "At last," she crooned, "It's _mine_." Then she tipped her head back and laughed.

Ariel sobbed as she stroked her father's weedy form. 'Daddy.'

* * *

Jim was having problems of his own. The bubble around his head, not longer sustained by Triton's magic, had popped, leaving him only breaths left before he had to surface. He was about to swim for air when he saw Ariel's face change from regretful to vengeful, her fingers curled into claws. 'You monster!' She tried to scream and swam at the witch, who had her back to them. The spacer waved frantically toward the surface as Ariel grabbed at the witch's face angrily.

"Don't fool with me, you little brat!" Ursula screeched, throwing the princess against a boulder. Jim swam in vain to his mermaid's aid, the sea witch snarling dangerously with the trident pointed at Ariel's chest. "Contract or no con-"

Then, out of nowhere, a harpoon grazed Ursula's shoulder and lodged itself in the sand. She yowled in pain then looked about angrily to see who the culprit might be. She spotted the lifeboat on the surface, the occupant squinting to see if he had hit his mark. "Aurgh!" The sea witch roared, pointing her trident at the small vessel.

'Eric!' Ariel realized, swimming at the witch and pulling back on her white hair just as the trident fired, skewing her aim. The bolt of magic hit Ursula's eels instead, reducing them to strands of nothingness.

"My babies!" Ursula cried, gather their remains in her hands. "Oh, my poor little poopsies!" The trident glowed with new fervor. "How dare you!" She screamed, turning the trident once again on Ariel, who was helping Jim back to the surface.

* * *

Jim noticed the sea witch aiming out of the corner of his eye and, knowing he would not have enough time to signal Eric again, pushed Ariel out of range as Ursula let another stream of energy loose.

When the magic hit him, it felt like a hundred ships exploding. The sailor instinctively curled up around his wounded core, the last of his air supply squeezed out through gritted teeth.

'No! Jim!' Ariel screamed silently, darting toward him. In her shock and desperation, she did not heed how much Ursula had grown with the power of the trident, and Jim was picked up by a giant hand before Ariel could reach him.

"A sea king _and_ a spacer?" The witch cackled. "Must be my lucky day!"

* * *

Ariel started to chase after Jim herself, then realized Ursula was headed for the surface, and the human needed air. She reluctantly halted her pursuit to consider other options. The sea witch wouldn't kill Jim, not as long as he was useful, so Ariel still had time.

"Ariyal!" Sebastian hailed, swimming down to her. "What happened, chile'?"

The princess tried to explain as best she could, preoccupied by the fact that her spacer was in the clutches of a rampaging sorceress.

"King Triton was t-turned into a- weed?" Flounder exclaimed, swimming over to them.

The mermaid nodded sadly. 'And now Ursula has Jim, and he's hurt!'

"D-didn't he have a broken leg-"

'I mean he was hit with magic!' Ariel was beginning to hydroventilate.

"Okay, okay." Sebastian soothed. "We don't 'ave much time. Come up to de surface. Maybe de preence can help."

Ariel's eyes widened. 'The prince?'

Sebastian explained the whole ordeal, in the little English he knew, to Eric, who had already noticed the large octopus-woman wreaking havoc on the coastline. The wedding ship had sailed back to shore for fear of the monstrous waves.

"So that- thing- has Jim?" Eric asked, his fear barely masked by concern.

"Yes, sire." Sebastian replied, "An' 'e needs, ah, magical 'elp before de magic gets tru hees, ah, sees-tum."

"How much time are we talking?"

"Ideally? Five minutes ago."

"Hmmmm," Eric pondered for a moment, looking from Sebastian, to Ursula, to Ariel, then back to Sebastian again. Then, the answer caught his eye, and he grinned shakily. "I am capable of bigger things."

"Wot was dat?" The crab asked.

Eric smiled wider, a little wildness in his eyes. "I said, I have a plan."

* * *

Ariel watched nervously as her marine friends hurried off toward Atlantica to start evacuating. The plan was just crazy enough to work, but she still feared for Jim and her father. She looked over at their enemy. Ursula was monstrous; ten stories tall easily, her features twisted in her bloodlust, her teeth flashing like daggers in the light of the trident. Lightning lit the night periodically, making the whole scene all the more terrifying. A warm hand covered Ariel's where she gripped the side of the dinghy.

"Everything will be fine." Eric reassured her, noticing the horrified look in her eyes. "We'll save Jim and get your father his- power scepter back, I promise."

Ariel gave him a small smile to show she believed him. 'What's my job?' She asked.

"I need you over on her left flank to distract the witch before she remembers I'm here again." Eric laid the solar surfer across the boat's seats and climbed aboard, slipping his right foot into the appropriate slot. "Be sure to make a lot of noise-" he faltered, realizing his mistake "- er, or, as much as you can. The surfer produces quite a racket, and even though the wind is really loud, we absolutely need the element of surprise."

Ariel squinted, not entirely happy with her role. 'Why am I the distraction?'

"Because I need you in the water when the witch goes down to do what you do best." Ariel stared at him blankly as he stepped on a bright red button, releasing the shimmering, orange sail. "Save Jim's life."

As Eric struggled with the solar surfer, Ariel swam off, wondering how to draw the attention of the huge sea witch. What I need is something not just loud, but irritating and disruptive, the princess decided. Something annoying enough to keep her attention- I know!

'Scuttle! Scuttle!' She called, waving to her friend cowering in an outcropping of rock.

He hopped down to meet her. "Wh-what is it, sweetie?"

Ariel smiled. 'I need your help.'

* * *

"'Ey! 'Ey you, you overgrown calamari!"

Ursula turned her head toward the voice. She was the ruler of all the ocean, commander of seas! Who dared insult her? The answer hit her in the face.

"Back off, you pesky seagull!" She growled, attempted to backhand the infuriating bird that had flown into her nose. It bobbed and weaved in front of her like a jellyfish on gaseous fumes.

"I don't like calamari myself," he continued, evading her swinging hand. "Too rubbery. Now, salmon! That's a good meal."

"Shut up!" The witch yelled, beginning to make wild shots with the trident. Ariel's eyes widened; if Scuttle was hit, he wouldn't survive. She picked up a fist-sized rock and threw it as hard as she could at the sea monster. It didn't hurt the witch, but it did distract her enough to allow Scuttle to fly away. Best of all, Ursula had her back to Eric, who finally managed to get the surfer's engine running.

* * *

The surfer wobbled heavily when it first took off, its amateur passenger still not sure how the machine operated.

"So, my right foot is over the, um, thing that makes it turn on-" he reasoned allowed, "but where is the thing that makes it go?" Then he noticed a thick, red band painted just to the left of a groove in the handrail. Eric gripped his handle where the red indicated, then shook the sail. It was loose, as if it were supposed to move. He twisted the handle experimentally, and the surfer sped off, straight toward the back of the huge sea witch.

Eric held back a scream, trying to figure out how to turn. As the witch grew closer and closer, the prince leaned heavily away from the sail, preparing to jump off. The surfer caught up with his motion, veering sharply to the right, and a strong wind caught the sail, pushing him back. Eric paused a moment, realizing what he had just done. Carefully, he leaned into the sail, and the solar surfer made a smooth left. He pulled the handle slowly toward himself, and the machine tilted into an ascent. The prince laughed triumphantly, steering the surfer back on course. Now, to end this nightmare.

* * *

"Oh!" Ursula smiled viciously down at her assailant, her voice booming with magic. "If it isn't the little demoted princess. I had almost forgotten about you."

'Let him go, Ursula!' Ariel demanded, frowning to cover up her fear.

"What was that?" The witch asked. "I can't understand you, what with you having no voice and all. Here, let me pull up some subtitles." With a wave of the trident, a row of golden letters arranged themselves below Ariel, transcribing what she had said.

"Awww, you want me to free the space boy, do you?" Ursula reiterated with mock pity.

Ariel growled, and the witch laughed even louder as the the letters "GRRRRRRR" appeared in gold below the girl's head. Ariel swam through the letters, dissipating them. She was angry, now. Angry and afraid, as Jim dangled lifelessly in the witch's free hand.

'Fine, then I will rescue him!' Ariel declared hotly. 'Besides, I am a _rightful_ heir to the throne. In my hands, the trident would be thousands of times more powerful than in yours!' Ursula read the subtitles, her grip tightened around the neck of said weapon with each word.

The princess saw Eric swerve in the air behind Ursula. Something was wrong; he needed more time.

She pressed on. 'Then again, what more can you expect, from a no-good, wannabe usurper of the throne? You are no more fit for the crown than a sea slug!' Now Ursula growled, and the trident shone red. Eric was completely out of sight, now, so Ariel had no choice but to keep the witch's attention. 'That- metaphor suits because your, um, brain is as small as a sea slug's!'

"Enough!" Ursula roared, and a monstrous wave rose and collapsed on the princess. "We shall see who is more fit to rule!" She dipped the trident in the ocean and cut it like butter, the waves splitting in two and caving under its massive power. Ariel grabbed onto a rock and watched as Ursula opened a hole in the sea, the water spinning into the world's deadliest whirlpool. Skeletons of ships were pulled into its current, sailing to the surface and bobbing like ghosts on the water. Satisfied with her death trap, Ursula scoured the tumultuous sea for her victim. Ariel pressed herself against the rock, praying the witch wouldn't detect her. Fear gripped her and her breath came in heaving gasps. She was keeping Ursula occupied all right. Eric had better come through with his phase of the plan.

"I see you, princess!" Ursula crowed, striking the rock with a lightning bolt. The mermaid was blown off the remainder of the rock by gale force winds and thrown into the trident-made whirlpool.

* * *

Eric had a problem. Just as he was in position to strike he realized that the solar surfer, while it had the speed necessary to accomplish his task, had a rounded and dull tip. To ensure victory, it was imperative to find something sharp to attach to it. First, however, he needed somewhere to land. Going back to shore would cause too much of a delay and, as he could see over Ursula's shoulder, Ariel was in trouble. Fortunately, the ships the sea witch resurrected made a perfect landing platform. Eric hesitantly, but safely, landed the machine on a rotting vessel and ran below deck to see what he could find.

Fortunately, he discovered a treasure trove of old weapons in the ship's cargo bay. Unfortunately, he couldn't find anything that wasn't so rusted or moldy it would break under the slightest pressure. He did excavate a long, copper pipe with the end severed diagonally into a brutal point that could work, but the heavy copper would upset the balance of the surfer, making it hard to maneuver. To fix this problem, Eric also returned to the main deck with two barrels of gunpowder to counter the weight. He tied his bounty to the surfer with some rope that was still usable. Eric looked over his shoulder toward the sea witch nervously. The sea was so disturbed now that the ship rocked erratically from side to side. He didn't have much time.

* * *

Ariel hit the wet sand with an audible thud, the ocean floor absorbing only a little of the impact. The spray stung her eyes, and the rush of the water pounded in her ears. Somehow, though, Ariel could hear Ursula calling through the waves,

"You think you are powerful enough to wield the power of the trident? Well, let's see how long you can _evade it_!"

* * *

When Jim opened his eyes, all he could see was the broiling, black clouds overhead and bits of the sea as it broke against the inky blackness of his captor. The pain he felt in his chest was breathtaking, and he almost passed out again. What had hit him? Oh yeah, Ursula's pointy fork-thing. Or rather, Triton's pointy fork-thing.

Jim had a delusional moment where he wondered what he should call the king if he planned on dating his daughter, then, with a swing of Ursula's gigantic arm, realized the chances of them actually surviving were slim to none. He grimaced, bracing himself as the sea witch swung back the hand carrying him, balancing her weight as she struck at something with the trident. Jim bit his lip to keep from yelling aloud as the turbulence batted around his broken leg, the plaster falling away from his dip in the ocean. Much more of this kind of handling and he would be crippled for good. He looked around best he could, taking in the situation to distract himself from the pain.

Over to his right, he saw Eric on a ship, doing something with the solar surfer. Jim wondered vaguely what he was planning, and if he should be worried for his surfer's safety. Then his gaze rolled over to the scene occurring on his left. A huge whirlpool stirred the ocean, and at the bottom, which he could see as Ursula moved her hand in front of her, lay Ariel, looking fearfully up at them.

"Ariel!" Jim yelled, foregoing any discretion. "No, Ariel!" The mermaid could not hear him over the rush of the water, but the sea witch noticed his cries and laughed.

"Ahhh, so you're awake are you?"

Jim struggled in her grip, though upon release the only way he had to go was down.

"Good. You'll be able to see the show!" With a peal of laughter, Ursula aimed the trident into the whirlpool and fired. Jim watched in horror as Ariel scooted out of the way, the bolt only barely missing her tail.

"Ariel!" Jim called desperately, pushing against Ursula's huge fingers. "Please, kill me instead!" He pleaded, turning to his captor. "Torture me, cut me up, send my remains to the four corners of space but please- don't hurt her."

The sea witch looked up from her aiming, glancing at him with half-lidded eyes. "You really shouldn't work yourself up so much." She informed him. "The magic poisoning your system will quicken if you get upset, and I need you alive to bargain with the Intergalactic Space Union."

"I don't care what you need!" Jim growled, but he stilled. Squirming only made the pain worse, and it wasn't going to free him.

"Morph," he whispered, patting his pocket where the shape-shifter slept. How he could sleep through a magic-induced hurricane, Jim had no clue. The blobby, pink creature slid lazily up Jim's arm and into the crook of his neck. Then Morph noticed what was happening, and gave out a high-pitched squeal. "Morph! Morph, focus. I need you to go down that hole," the sailor gestured with his head. "See where Ariel is? I need you to protect her. Can you do that for me?"

"Eye, eye, yap'n!" Morph squeaked, made braver by his responsibility.

"Good boy. Now, go!"

* * *

Morph wasted no time, speeding like a bullet into the depths of the pit just as Ursula let loose another volley of magical arrows. He swallowed one, coughing up smoke as his gelatin form dissolved the magic. Ariel ducked and weaved as the other magic bolts burrowed themselves into the ocean floor, turning the sand to glass where they landed.

'Morph?' Ariel asked, somewhat relieved, as the small animal transformed into a small shield, parrying the witch's blows. 'Morph, is Jim OK?'

"OK, OK!" Morph chirruped, giggling as the magic bounced off his steel exterior.

'Good.' The mermaid sighed, then, "Look out!" As she pushed away from another blast.

"I'm getting bored of this game." Ursula grumbled, the trident lowering to her side. "And your little blob isn't making it any more entertaining." The witch grinned nastily, and the trident glowed anew. "Let's start the final round."

Ariel was starting to think she could make it out of this alive, when all of a sudden, long strips of seaweed erupted from the sand, grabbing her limbs and tail and holding her to the ground. Morph was batted aside and sucked into the walls of the whirlpool. 'Morph!' Ariel shrieked, crying as she realized there was no escape.

"Ariel!" Jim struggled harder than before, his hand wriggling down to reach into his boot. Ursula cackled as the mermaid arched away from her bonds, her hair splayed limp and wet in blood red rivers around her. The mermaid turned her head to one side, her eyes shedding a single tear as she accepted her fate.

The sea witch took aim.

"Say good-bye to your sweetheart."

"No!" With one fluid motion that involved far too much pain than it was worth, Jim yanked the small knife from his boot and stabbed it up to the hilt into Ursula's hand. She yowled at the unexpected attack, then turned and glared at her prisoner.

"You fool!" The witch shook her injured hand, dislodging the knife and throwing Jim into the pit along with Ariel. He yelped in pain upon landing, white stars dancing at the edge of his vision. Thankfully, enough seaweed had grown to pad his fall so he didn't break another bone. He army-crawled over to Ariel, biting his lip till it bled to keep from whimpering with each movement.

"Are- you OK?" He asked upon arriving, putting a hand to her cheek.

'That's a stupid question.' Ariel smiled, but she was crying. Jim used his thumb to brush the tears away.

"Awww, it's that sweet," came a voice from the mouth of the whirlpool. The youths looked defiantly up to the surface, finding strength in the other's company. Ursula brandished the trident, turning it reddish orange. The sea witch brought the trident to her cheek to aim, and the tip shown a bright, dangerous yellow. Ursula laughed triumphantly.

"So much for TRUE LOVE!"

* * *

Suddenly, an explosion bloomed from Ursula's side, skewing her aim. She dropped the trident to hold her side, her screeching louder than the thunder as she began to sink. Her tentacles pulled ships toward her to help her stay afloat, but their death grip cracked the ships, splitting some of them, and she became tangled in the wreckage. Ariel crawled free of the disenchanted seaweed and covered Jim with her body as debris fell down the hole, landing all around them. Finally, Ursula's eyes rolled back in her massive head as another blast ruptured her heart, killing her. The magic in her body turned the carcass into sparkling nothings which filtered harmlessly down to the ocean floor.

The whirlpool sighed with relief as it collapsed in on itself, no longer held up by magic. 'Hold your breath.' Ariel ordered Jim, wrapping her tail around his legs. Jim did as he was told, though the pain searing through his leg and chest made it hard to breathe. The water hit them with incredible force, spinning them hectically through the confused currents as the ocean came crashing back together. The mermaid's hold on her sailor kept them together and prevented him from being torn apart by the violent riptides. Once the currents settled down, Ariel untwisted her tail and torpedoed for the surface, Jim already limp in her arms.

Ariel dragged Jim ashore and laid him gently on the sand. She hadn't realized how bad his condition had become. His eyes had dark rings under them, and his lips were pale. His veins were blue, almost black, under flushed, feverish skin, and new bruises formed all over his body from the fall into the whirlpool. His broken leg was another story altogether, mangled beyond repair. Ariel had saved him once before, but she did not know if she would be enough this time; the corrupted magic had done its work. Ariel tried anyway, tears flowing as freely as her magic onto his broken form. 'Don't die on me, James Hawkins.' Ariel demanded, pushing the last of her magic reserve into him. She sat back woozily, the massive loss of magic bringing on waves of nausea. 'Don't you dare.'

* * *

Jim slowly came to, then wished he hadn't. All the nerve receptors in his body were burning, and his vision was rimmed with red. Ariel hovered above him, her eyes anxious.

'On- beach. I tried- magic- tem- don't know-' Jim couldn't read her lips through his gradually blurring vision. He shook his head slightly, squeezing his eyes shut.

"I can't- see to understand- you," he gasped. He breathed like two tons of water were in his lungs. "Here-" He wiggled his right hand. "This was- Ursula's- maybe you know- what to do with it." Ariel obediently pried back his stiff fingers from what he held. She gasped; it was Ursula's seashell necklace.

'Ursula put my voice in here after she took it from me,' Ariel breathed, though Jim still had his eyes shut. She looked into the aperture of the shell. Something gold glowed within. It was almost definitely her voice, but how to get it back out again?

Not being able to come up with a better idea, Ariel put her mouth over the shell's opening and inhaled. The gold substance flowed out languidly at first, but then with more fervor as it slid down her tongue and into her throat. There it absorbed into her vocal cords, filling her whole body with warmth and magic. Finally, the last drop fell into her mouth, and she lowered the necklace.

"Ji-Jim?" She ventured. Ariel closed her eyes for a moment. She hadn't realized how sweet talking would feel, and she relished the way his name resonated in her throat.

Jim looked up at her with a comical expression, and the mermaid threw back her head and laughed.

"Your-voice!" Jim exclaimed, a bit more alert.

"I know, isn't it fantastic?" Ariel giggled.

The spacer smiled inadvertently at the sound, though his thoughts were in turmoil. "The, um- the girl who rescued me-" The mermaid fell silent as Jim grappled with his memories "-had your voice. It was- you. You-" he looked over at her, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. "You hit me- with a rock."

Ariel bit her lip sheepishly. "It was the only way. I couldn't let you see me- this way."

Jim's head throbbed, and his hands and feet felt numb. "'This way?'" He chuckled, but a tear streamed from his glassy eyes. "You're- beautiful."

"I have to agree."

Ariel turned around at the familiar voice, her smile so wide that her eyes watered.

"Daddy!"

The sea king, turned back into his noble form, hovered in the shallows, held upright by a swirling column of sea foam. He wore his gold crown once again on his temple, and the trident shone radiantly in his right hand. He smiled warmly at his daughter, and at once she wanted to swim to his side.

Then Jim coughed brutally, and both of the nobles' faces fell.

"What happened to him?" Triton asked, coming further onto shore.

Ariel held Jim's hand, and he looked at her wildly. He couldn't feel her touch.

"Allow me to ex-plain, yo Mahjesty," Sebastian intervened, crawling across the sand. "Dis boy, een pro-teckshun of yo daut-a, inta-septed one of de trident's bolts." He gazed at the sailor's shuddering frame sadly. "She laced de trident's magic wit hur own, poisoning heem." The crab sighed. "I fee-a eet ees too late."

"Too late? Too late, Sebastian?" The king cracked a wry smile. "In the care of Ursula, it might have been 'too late.' But I am Triton! Ruler of the seven seas! Too me, it is never 'too late.'"

He smiled gently at his daughter, who was looking at him hopefully, tears in her eyes.

"Move aside, Ariel." He instructed, the trident glowing green in the night. Jim peered up at the king fearfully, then sighed, turning his face away in defeat. Triton grimaced at the black lines crawling up the spacer's neck.

"And close your eyes. This might get ugly."

* * *

**OH snap. That's all I have to say.**

**OK, not really.**

**I've had some other readers say they couldn't understand bits of this, so if you are confused about any part, please write a review stating where and why so I can fix it or explain in the next chapter. :D**

**Don't ask about Eric or Morph, though. Many mysteries will be explained next chapter. :)**

**Thanks for reading!  
**


	14. Angst and Explanations

Ariel spent the next few days moping about the palace. Jim had fallen into a coma after her father healed his wounds. Sebastian had stayed to guard him, promising to come with word once their patient woke up.

The mermaid desperately wanted to see Jim again, but she was also afraid. He knew her identity now; her _whole_ identity. He knew about her saving him, hitting him... lying to him. And she knew she had no excuse. She should have told him everything the second night, after he had confessed his true nature to her. But she hadn't trusted him the way he trusted her. When we meet again, I'll fix that, she decided, clutching Jim's pipe tighter.

"What's that in your hand, Ariel?" Arista asked. The youngest sibling had been mobbed by her sisters upon her return, and they hadn't left alone since. Not that she was complaining; she seemed to get lonely much easier recently.

"It's a- a pipe." Ariel replied, lifting it for her blonde sister's appraisal. "They put something that smokes in here," she pointed to the bell, "and inhale it."

"Ewwie!" Alana proclaimed, looking up from her compact mirror. "That _can't_ be good for the complexion."

"Jim didn't smoke it, though." Ariel defended, putting the stem in her mouth.

"Jim?" Adella exclaimed, and the girls swarmed their sister, poking at the human artifact with interest. Public approval of humans had increased substantially since the Ursula affair, but Jim particularly intrigued her sisters since he was their young sister crush, as well as a national hero.

"It was his dad's." Ariel said quietly around the mouthpiece. Her sisters fell silent. Anything having to do with Jim seemed to both elate and sadden their youngest sibling.

Attina broke the silence. "Ariel, I-"

Then, a seahorse herald burst hurriedly through the door.

"Princess Ariel? Ah, Princess Ariel!" The seahorse bowed. "The sea king requests your presence. It's almost time for your meeting with the royal humans."

Ariel released the anxious breath she'd been holding in a flurry of bubbles. "Tell him I'll be right there."

Triton grinned as his youngest daughter entered the throne room.

"You look beautiful, as usual." He bragged, putting an arm around her shoulder. "But, what's this?" He lifted the chain of the necklace Ariel wore. "Wasn't this-"

"Ursula's, yes." Ariel replied. "Jim- gave it to me, to give my voice back. I kept it to remind me of all the pain my mistake caused, so I never do something so stupid again."

The sea king smiled tightly and hugged his daughter. "I'm sure you never will. Now, shall we get going?"

"Sure," Ariel shrugged, then said sternly, "But leave the trident here. I won't have you turning anyone into starfish during the peace meeting."

"But what if one of them attacks us, or looks at me strangely? Dirty, barbaric humans-"

"Well, a dirty, barbaric human saved our entire civilization," Ariel pointed out, prying the trident from his hands and placing it in its stand. "Now, behave."

Triton laughed jovially at her off-character behavior and took her hand as they swam to the surface.

* * *

The council was set up on a long table on the beach, one end reaching a good five feet past the surf so the mer-guests could take their places at the table. Besides King Triton and Ariel, there were six humans in attendance: the queen, Eric, Captain Harris, and the ministers of agriculture, defense, and war. The peace meeting went relatively well, considering this was the first formal meeting ever between human and merfolk, though it almost came to blows when the humans brought up oceanic fishing rights. With Ariel's help the squabble was soon rectified, and by the end of the four-hour meeting the two countries had laid out a suitable compromise. Atlantica would aid Guilder in defensive wars, as long as Guilder did not draw its fish supply from the sea. Also, there would be no use of magic to sink Guilder's ships and bring about storms, and the humans were forbidden from emptying their waste into the ocean. Breaches in this deal would result in dire consequences. On a lighter note, trade would be permitted between the two countries, and the nobles would meet together quarterly to discuss any problems or concerns. In addition, an ambassador to each capital- this idea took Triton some getting used to, as it involved the changing of humans into mermaids and vice versa.

At the end of the long peace council, all of Ariel's hard work paid off when Triton signed his name next to the humans' on the peace treaty. The sea king was discussing some specifics with the human queen when Ariel spotted the familiar red dot scurrying down the beach toward them.

"Yo' Highnesses! Ariyal!"

"What is it, Sebastian?" Triton asked, but Ariel already knew what he would say.

"Eet's de boy, Jeem." He gasped. "'E 'as awakened!"

Prince Eric and Captain Harris, both present at the meeting, immediately jumped from their seats and sprinted down the beach. Ariel wished she could join them, but she could no longer come on to land. She bit her lip frantically.

Eric, as if reading her mind, turned about. "Ariel! Swim along the shore to the house!" He yelled, running backwards. "Then he can see you when he comes out!"

"Great idea!" She called back, diving into the water without bidding the other human dignitaries good-bye.

* * *

As Jim sat up, he expected to feel a lot of pain in his chest and leg, but when he propped himself up on his arms, he felt... nothing. In fact, he felt stronger than ever. He wiggled the toes of his left foot experimentally. No pain. He threw the covers back, shivering briefly at the sudden chill, to reveal his broken leg no longer in a cast. It looked as good as new.

"How long was I out?" He wondered. Morph, who had been by his side since the prince found him on the beach, flew around him in circles, cooing encouragement as Jim stood and took his first step on his healed leg. It performed perfectly, showing no signs of extended uselessness. He walked slowly to a mirror hanging by the bathroom door to examine his injuries, only to find he had none. No bruises or breakages remained from his time as Ursula's captive. In fact, except for his usual scars, some stiffness, and a case of bed head, he looked remarkably pristine. Then he noticed a small mar on his collarbone, hiding under his shirt. He pulled back the cloth to look at the fish-shaped scar, the place where the sea had marked him.

Jim realized that, as Captain Harris believed, he really did belong to the sea, though not in the way the old man suspected. He was in love with the sea king's daughter.

The sailor sighed, turning away from the mirror and pulling up his shirt collar. Could his life get any more complicated?

"Jim!" Captain Harris exclaimed, bursting through the door with Max at his heels. Jim put down the comb he was using and smiled broadly.

"Captain."

"Come, come, boy!" The captain grinned. "You're a country hero! Drop this 'captain' business and give an old sailor a hug!" Before Jim could protest, he was off the ground, lifted up by the burly man's emphatic embrace.

"Don't- break him, Harris!" Eric panted, leaning against the door frame with his good arm, the other in an impressive-looking swing. He smiled good-naturedly at the pair. "We just got him repaired!"

Harris released Jim only for Max and Morph to move in, reducing Jim to a laughing mess on the floor.

"Down, boys!" Eric proclaimed, helping the sailor up. "But really, Jim, good show. Both Guilder and Atlantica are indebted to you."

"I could say the same for you," Jim countered, shaking the prince's hand. "You saved both our lives. How'd you do it, by the way?"

Eric grinned. "You might want to sit down, it's a bit of a story."

Jim sat, and the prince told him about his plan to kill Ursula using the solar surfer as a sort of dagger. However, he was hindered by the dullness of the solar surfer's tip, and that's why he had to land and attach the copper rod and barrels of gunpowder to it. He told Jim how he had barely gotten back into position before Ursula was poised for her final strike, and how he drove the surfer full tilt into her, bailing at the last second.

"That alone would have killed her," Eric insisted, "but I didn't count on the surfer's overheated engine exploding and igniting the gunpowder. The blast was immense, and some shrapnel caught me in the arm."

"I see that." Jim noted. "Who made your sling?"

Eric blushed slightly. "Um, Jean did." The prince looked away sheepishly, and Jim didn't press him further.

"Anyway," Eric continued. "It was hard to swim to shore with an injury like that, but thankfully Morph showed up out of nowhere and turned into a strange, windmill-like contraption-"

"A propellor."

"Right, a 'propellor,' and aided me ashore. We found you twenty yards down the beach, unconscious but completely healed."

Jim nodded. "Triton-"

"Yes, he told us later when he and Ariel came ashore to inquire about you. Speaking of whom-" Eric winked. "She's waiting for you just outside. Shall we go meet her?"

The young sailor bit his lower lip, his heart pounding. "I- I can't."

"What? You _can't_? Why not?" Eric exclaimed in disbelief. "Seriously, she saves your life-twice- and you say you _can't_? There's gratitude for you. And to think she picked you over me-"

Jim growled, remembering why the prince had so irked him before. "Don't you dare question my feelings for her. You have no idea what I have to consider!"

"I know that there is a beautiful girl on the beach who has been waiting days to see you, and yet you're being a jellyfish about meeting her!"

"Prince Eric, please, let me handle this." Captain Harris said calmly, putting a hand on each man's chest. "Can you go outside and wait for us?"

Eric nodded hesitantly, turned, and stomped out the door, slamming it behind him.

* * *

Ariel splashed excitedly about on the shoreline, her heart pumping furiously. Finally, after three days, she'd be able to see him! The princess hadn't realized how lonely she would be without her knight until she was lying awake in her own bed, miles from the chef's villa where Jim slept. She had wondered if he missed her too, then realized, of course he wouldn't miss her, he was in a coma.

Her father, annoyed that she was so worked up over an alien boy, told her that her depression was a part of being a teenager and she would soon grow out of it. However, his advice did not stop the mermaid from wishing to be by Jim's side, even if she could do nothing but watch him sleep.

Ariel physically jumped when she saw the villa's front door open, but her shoulders sank as only the prince emerged.

"Is he coming?" She asked as Eric approached.

"I'm- not sure," he said nervously. "I think he's a bit- confused right now. Captain Harris is talking to him. I'm supposed to wait for him-them- here."

* * *

"So, what's this all about, lad?"

"I just don't know if I want to see her right now, that's all." Jim lied through gritted teeth.

"D'ye mind if I ask why?"

"We just have- trust issues." The younger sailor said softly. "As in, I trusted her, but she- didn't trust me."

Harris nodded slowly, but he could see in the sailor's eyes there was more to it. "And that's all?"

Jim growled, stood up, and began to pace. "Of course that's not all! She's a blasted _mermaid_! I'm an alien! It's the most taboo relationship in the galaxy, and I've gotten tangled in it." He pulled both hands through his hair. "What's worse, she has a family! Even if I were able to sneak her off the planet, my conscience would never be clear! Augh!" He fell against the wall. "Don't you think I've thought through every possible scenario? I'm a desperate man, Harris. I would do _anything _ to be with her, but-" Jim sighed sadly. "I'm not some prince on the beach, mere miles from her homeland. We're talking light-years of separation for a relationship barely three days old. The best thing for her is to no longer be involved with me."

"So you're not going to see her again at all."

"No." Jim said firmly. "That will only make my leaving worse, and tempt her to do something reckless. I don't like this-" he sniffed and wiped his face with his sleeve "-at all, but it's the only way."

"I didn't think the ingenious Jim Hawkins had such a narrow-minded way of thinking." Harris probed, a bit perturbed.

"You know what, sir? Just- be quiet!" Jim's fists clenched, then he forced himself to relax, turning away from his superior. "Word of this would have gotten back to the Academy, and they'll want to extract me before I can do any more damage. Please leave, I have some packing to do." Morph cooed sadly, snuggling against Jim's cheek, and Jim patted him gratefully.

"Fine. Come, Max." The captain waved a hand at the whining dog. "Let's leave the boy to his sulking."

* * *

Ariel perked up when the villa's door opened once again, but when Captain Harris walked down the front steps to the beach alone, she sunk beneath the waves to hide her tears of frustration.

Wait a minute! Her reasonable side warned before she could swim away. Maybe it's not how it looks. He could be busy doing any number of things, so don't assume he's never coming out of that house. Besides, it can't hurt to see why he isn't coming down. Ariel conceded, resurfacing as the captain walked toward her and the prince.

"Is he sick?" She asked, brushing wet hair away from her face. "Did Daddy's healing not take full effect? Why isn't he with you?"

The captain didn't have to say anything; his sad, resigned eyes spoke volumes. Jim was never coming to visit her, and it was all her fault. The princess bit her lip and turned tail into the sea, sobbing the whole way home.

* * *

Jim watched from the window as Harris walked toward Eric and Ariel on the shoreline, and his heart sunk as the mermaid swam away. Heaven knew he wanted to run into the surf after her, but he couldn't. In the end, it would only hurt her more. Hurt both of them more.

Oh, and that's the catch, isn't it? He thought bitterly. You're afraid of getting hurt yourself. You and your psychology-grade abandonment issues.

"I'm hurting enough already." Jim replied sadly, not in the mood to fight with his conscience. "She'll be able to get over me easier this way. It would probably be better if she hated me."

His conscience fell silent; neither side wanted that. Jim kicked a waste basket in frustration, sending garbage flying and startling Morph.

"Sorry, boy, I didn't mean to scare you." He soothed, petting the creature then crouching to right the basket and pick up spilled trash.

He sniffed again and rubbed at his eyes with a sleeve. "I just- want to get off this bloody planet."

* * *

The next day Flounder found Ariel in her room where she had been since the peace meeting with the humans.

"A-Ariel?" He whispered. "Are you okay?"

The mermaid sighed and flipped over. "No, Flounder, I'm not okay. I'm beside myself with lovesickness and that blowfish of a biped doesn't seem to care!"

"I'm a-assuming you're referring to J-Jim."

"Of course I'm referring to Jim, who else would I be referring to?" Ariel pressed her pillow against her face, so Flounder barely heard her say, "He's all I think about."

She pushed the pillow aside and fished the pipe out from beneath her mattress, turning it in front of her eyes.

"Will there be no happily ever after for me, Flounder?" The princess asked quietly.

Before Flounder could reply, Aquata called from the doorway, "Someone to see you Ariel!"

"Who is it?" Andrina interjected.

"Ooo, is it a boy?" Adella squealed. Ariel held her breath. It was extremely unlikely, but maybe-

"Back off, Adella. It's just Urchin."

"Oh." The whole room sighed in unison, the sisters returning to what they were doing.

"Tell him I'll be out in a sec." Ariel sighed, tucking the pipe back under her mattress and haphazardly straightening her hair.

"You don't look so hot." The blond merman commented as Ariel entered the small conference room. He motioned her into a seat. "I came by to deliver your-uh- _package_. Is something wrong?"

"I've been and done the whole human shtick, Urchin," Ariel confessed.

"What?"

With a bit of prompting, she went on to tell him the whole story.

"So you had the whole thing in the bag, and then you gave it all up for some alien?" Urchin guffawed, sitting back in his chair. "I gotta tell ya, _I'm_ sort of mad at you right now. I mean, do you _plan_ to have all the cool adventures without me?"

Ariel looked down at her lap. "I-I'm sorry." Urchin bit his lip and started to say something, then she continued. "Anyway, you can keep the stuff. I'm not turning human again without my father's permission."

"So- what about your lover? You're just giving up?"

Ariel scowled at him. "He's not my-" then sighed, "No, I'm not giving up. I just don't know what to do."

The merman rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well, he's in that chef's villa, right? To me, the obvious plan is to just wait for him there. He has to come out eventually.

"I'd stay hidden, though." Urchin added as an afterthought. "If he really doesn't want to see you, he probably won't come out if he knows you're there."

Ariel raised an eyebrow, and Flounder voiced what she was thinking. "I-isn't that like... stalking?"

"After making a deal with the sea witch to become a human behind your dad's back and nearly destroying our way of life, I think stalking is a step up on the morality scale."

Ariel frowned, but had to admit he was right. She would try his plan, only because she couldn't bear never seeing Jim again.

* * *

"Why don't you come stay at the castle?" Eric suggested to Jim one day over coffee and scones. The prince had visited Jim every day since he had woken up, their argument the day Jim had woken forgotten. "Sable has been sent to the winter palace until a suitable punishment can be thought up for her, so she won't be a problem. But between the two of us," Eric put down his cup and leaned forward in a conspiratorial manner (though only the two youths, Max, and Morph were in the house), "She's been a bit loopy ever since the Ursula affair. Mumbling to herself, not eating, being uncharacteristically quiet: I think she's shaken from the realization that she aided the near destruction of civilization as we know it. Added to your rejection of her, it was more than she could bear."

Jim grunted into his coffee mug. He was not happy about the duchess's degradation, but content that justice had been served.

"So?" Eric prompted.

"So what? Oh, um, no... I can't stay at the palace. It's too stuffy and- gold." Jim took another sip of his coffee, and his companion chuckled.

"I get it. You refuse to be with her, yet you cannot bear to be parted from her."

"Not this again, Eric."

"I'm just saying. She loves you just as much now as she did a week ago, and you her. Whether you stay away or are together, that doesn't change. So why torture yourself?"

"Well, what about you?" Jim asked, desperate to change the subject. "Is the search for a suitable princess back on?"

"No, actually," Eric blushed, and Jim raised his eyebrows inquiringly. The prince reached inside his shirt and drew out a gold chain. A modest silver ring from its end twinkled in the sunlight.

"Really?" Jim whistled. "So fast? Who's the lucky girl?"

"Ah," Eric laughed. "Jean-Jeanette."

"Jeanette? You proposed to-"

"She proposed to me, actually."

Jim guffawed, the gusto of his laughter almost spilling his coffee. "She proposed to- proposed to _you_? Ah ha ha!" Morph caught on to the mirth and laughed as well, rolling in the air with over-enthusiastic joviality.

Eric scowled at them. "Yes, well, I wasn't aware she had such feelings for me. She asked me to marry her in the middle of bandaging my arm. I said yes before I knew what was happening."

"But she hasn't saved your life, or brought peace to warring countries." Jim pointed out with mock skepticism.

Eric smiled sheepishly, slipping the ring on his finger. "She doesn't have to."

After Eric left, Jim wandered about the house, pondering on all that had happened. He thought about Sable's banishment and impending trial. He thought about Eric's impromptu and taboo engagement. He thought about the treaty between the mer-people and humans Eric told him Ariel aided in. Most of all, he thought about Ariel and Eric's insistence that separation would not make the burden any less.

"I'd have to disagree," Jim told Morph as he watched the sunset. "But I can't stay cooped up here until the Academy comes. I should enjoy what little this planet has to offer while I still can." Morph cooed encouragingly and nudged Jim's arm. The sailor smiled.

In the end, Jim could find nothing he wanted to do more than walk along the beach and star gaze. Yes, he sensed Ariel had been watching his borders, but he decided to take the risk. With a resigned sigh and a racing heart, Jim descended the stairs into the night.

* * *

When the door to the villa opened after dusk, Ariel's surprise nearly threw her off of the rock she was hiding behind. She regained her balance, her heart thumping painfully in her chest when Jim caught the pale moonlight. The mermaid watched as he walked down the beach, then slid into the water and followed him. Even from underwater, with his form distorted by the waves, he was handsome. Suddenly, he stopped and looked out to sea. The mermaid dashed behind a rock. As much as she wanted him to spot her, wanted to talk to him, she was embarrassed about stalking him for the past three days. So she waited with bated breath as he scanned the waves.

The more Jim walked, the more irritated and paranoid he became. _She_ was out there, in the waves, he could feel it. If she wanted to see him as badly as Harris and the prince claimed, why didn't she show herself?

What am I thinking? He wondered, slowing to a halt. I can't see her. Doing so will only make everything worse...

Had his father thought this way, before he left his family? Jim gripped his pant pocket where the pipe used to be. Even if he had, Jim still would have wanted his father to spend every spare second with him. His abandonment would have still hurt, but at least he would have more happy memories to hold on to... Jim made up his mind.

"Ariel? Where are you? I know you're here!" He yelled into the waves. Nothing. He called again, running into the surf. "Ariel!"

Still nothing.

Jim kicked the wet sand in frustration. She had given up on him. Not that he blamed her, but how was he supposed to reach her? He gritted his teeth, his eyes glassy. Would he ever-

"Boo."

Jim jumped a full foot into the air before landing on his rump, crab-crawling away from the source of the sound.

"Wow," Ariel grinned, allowing herself to wash up on the beach. After brushing some wet hair from her face, she placed her chin in her hands. "I never knew you were so excitable."

"Voices out of the dark can scare anybody," Jim replied, irritated that he was so relieved. "Especially if the voice belongs to mythical creatures that throw rocks at your head."

"Oh, you're never going to let _that_ one go, are you?"

"Not really, no." He shrugged. "Besides that, I'm still not used to you making noise."

"_Noise_? Quite the charmer aren't you?" Ariel held up a hand against his retort, getting right to the punch. Her voice, however, came out soft and timid. "Why did you wait so long to visit me?"

"I, uh," The spacer looked up at the stars and sighed, deciding to tell the raw truth. "I was afraid that being around you, when I knew I was leaving soon, would ultimately hurt you... me... us." He sniffed, embarrassed of his past notion. "I thought separation was the best way to ease the pain."

"That's kind of hypocritical, Jim."

"Yeah, I know. Have you always been so outspoken?"

"I was mute. So," Ariel bit her lip, changing the subject again, "Is this just a one-time thing? You visit me to make up for lost time and then lock yourself back up in your ivory tower?"

"You know that nothing in that house is even close to ivory." Jim chuckled. "But no. I've realized that I will regret not spending as much time with you as I can."

Ariel blushed, tapping her fingers together girlishly and looking up at him through her eyelashes. "Why?"

"Because-" Jim blushed, too. "You're going to make me say it, aren't you?"

"It's not that hard." She shrugged. The mermaid fixed her big, blue eyes on his, and he couldn't help noticing how they reflected the starlight. "I love you, Jim."

Jim grinned in spite of himself. "I love you, too."

* * *

From that night on the two teenagers were inseparable, having picnic lunches on the beach, going for swims, and watching the stars. However, Jim would not let her kiss him.

"I want to spend time with you, but we can't kid ourselves." He said maturely when she pouted at his rejection. "I'm going to be leaving, and that will be the end of any romantic relationship we have. I want to spend this limited time with you without all the emotional baggage that comes with tragic love."

"You're not very romantic, you know that?" Ariel growled. She drew random circles in the sand with her fingers for a while before saying in an offhanded manner, "But you still- _like_ like me, right?"

Jim blushed, a bit irked by her juvenile yet entirely charming behavior. "What do you think?"

A couple days later, they attended Prince Eric's wedding.

Eric and Jeanette had a modest yet beautiful ceremony, performed on the beach so that mer-people could attend. Jeanette looked gorgeous in a wedding dress she had designed, and the prince wore a matching suit. Eric beamed when she said "I do."

Festivities went on well into the night, and Ariel reveled in the music and dancing, wishing she could take part herself. She was content, however, to sit next to Jim, who could not be persuaded to dance at all.

"They look really happy together, don't they?" She mused, resting her head on Jim's shoulder.

Jim grinned in his lopsided way. "Yeah, they do."

"As happy as us?" Ariel asked, snuggling closer.

Jim's smile shrunk a couple of molars. Harris had told him that morning that an Academy ship was only two days away. He would be leaving her in _two days_.

"Probably."

* * *

**Oh snap. We're finally getting to the end of this sucker. I'll try to make the end worthy.**

**OK, as far as the book thing, if you want a hard copy of the book note me soon. :) And just to be clear, this is all on a donation-basis. I will be making no profit off of the books whatsoever, as all the leftovers will be given away to charities.**

**I just don't have the moneys to buy books for everyone who wants one. **

**Thank you for your faithful reading and encouragement!  
**


	15. Some Decisions Aren't Yours to Make

The next day, Jim met Ariel on the beach around noon.

"Where have you been?" she asked with a huff. "I was beginning to think you weren't coming-"

"Of course I would come." Jim said, a slight edge in his voice.

"CourseIwouldcome! CourseIwouldcome!" Morph piped up, swirling around the couple.

Morph's joy caused the sailor to relax. "I just had some- stuff to do. Come on." He smiled at Ariel. "We haven't a minute to lose."

Jim spent more time with Ariel than usual that day, not even taking time for his daily chat with Eric (which was more enforced by the prince than enjoyed by the sailor). Jim was more complacent as well, acquiescing to whatever Ariel wished to do. Fortunately, her wish list consisted mainly of getting real definitions for her surviving human treasures.

"And... what's this?" Ariel asked, holding out a rusted, metal cylinder. Jim took it from her and looked it over carefully, noticing the dirty glass lenses at both ends.

"It's a spyglass. Really old and damaged, though." He used his pocketknife to chip away at the rust around its neck.

"Jim?" Ariel asked as he worked.

"Hmm?"

"Is- something wrong?"

Jim didn't look up. "Despite the obvious that I'm destined to leave this planet and you are confined to the ocean? No." He worked a few minutes more, then sat back in defeat. "I'm going to need some oil or something to rehabilitate this, because-"

He was cut off when Ariel fell forward, burying her face in his chest, her arms around him as tight as a boa constrictor.

"Ariel?" Jim grunted. "What did I say about touching-?"

"I don't care about the spyglass thing," the mermaid whispered. "Or anything else. Just let me stay like this for a while."

The sailor sighed resignedly, returning her embrace and gazing at the sky, trying to contain the raw emotions roiling in his heart.

"We're going where? And what are you _doing_?"

"To the _Blue Lagoon_, for dinner." Jim replied, soaking a quilt in the surf.

"But I can't go up on land." Ariel pointed out, splashing her tail in the waves for emphasis. "How can I-"

Jim beamed, obviously pleased with himself. "I've got it covered. Hold onto this, will you?"

Ariel grabbed a corner of the waterlogged blanket before it could float away, and Jim dashed back to the villa.

He returned a couple of minutes later pushing his old wheelchair, a shirt and a bag slung over his shoulder. He took the quilt and laid it across the seat of the chair and grinned, extending his arms toward Ariel. She returned his smile, giggling as he carried her bridal-style and set her gently in the wheelchair. Jim wrapped the rest of the quilt around her tail as she pulled on the shirt he brought.

"Ta da!" he announced, and Morph echoed him excitedly. "The perfect temporary transport for the land-lubbing mermaid."

"Jim, you're a genius!" the princess exclaimed. "But, what's in the bag?"

"Oh, that's for later. Let's getting going!" He began to push the wheelchair. "We have reservations at seven."

* * *

Gordon met them at the front of the restaurant and led them to their normal table, though he was understandably confused that Ariel was now in the wheelchair and Jim standing tall. He was thrown completely for a loop when the redhead talked to him and demanded an explanation.

Jim gave him the short version of events.

"Oh, so you're one of those merfolk the town is buzzing about." A scandalous look spread across the chef's face. "Can I see your tail?"

"No!" Jim ordered before Ariel could reply.

Gordon lifted his hands in defense. "I was only curious."

"That's right you were." Ariel hid a smile at Jim's defensiveness.

"So," the chef sniffed, whipping a pad of paper and pen from his apron, the guise of humble server falling easily over his features, "may I take your order?"

Finally, after they had finished their desserts, Jim reached behind his chair to retrieve the mysterious bag. Ariel squirmed in her seat excitedly as he handed over the tote.

She opened it emphatically, then looked back up at him, confused.

"Jim, this is the dress you bought me before."

"Yes, but I've had it refitted. I took it in this morning." He scooted his chair toward her so he could demonstrate. "See? It's double seamed to last longer, and I asked for weights to be put in the bottom hem so you can wear it underwater without it floating up or anything."

Ariel fingered the familiar cloth, happy but unable to the feeling of foreboding away. Finally, she voiced her fears. "You're leaving soon, aren't you?"

Jim sighed. "Yeah. The ship to headquarters come in tomorrow."

Her head jerked up, her eyes angry and desperate. "Tomorrow? Why didn't you-"

"I didn't know till yesterday, and it didn't seem to be the right time, with Eric's wedding and all. He actually postponed his honeymoon to see me off..." Jim took her hands in his, fixing her with his cool blue gaze. "I was wondering if you would come, too, and wear this dress. It would-" he bit his lip "-mean the galaxy to me."

Ariel swallowed a sob and nodded. "I- have something for you too, I suppose." She reached into her shirt pocket and pulled out a small, wooden object. Jim's eyes widened.

"My pipe! The one Sable threw over the cliff!" He grabbed it from her, turning it over obsessively in his hands, like a child finding a long-lost and favorite toy. "Where did you find it?"

"In a shipwreck. The one below the cliff." Ariel explained, wiping unshed tears from her eyes. "After I found it, you kicked a stone and it hit an anchor, entrapping the shark that was chasing me."

Jim stared at her, bewildered and a bit awed by the coincidence.

Ariel smiled. "I'm alive because of that pipe." She bit her lip. "We were- meant to be together, Jim. Even before we met."

The spacer looked away, a pained expression on his face. "We're not having this conversation. It's impossible any way you slice it."

"But Jim, I-I-" she finally broke down, tears pouring from her with a vengeance. She laughed mirthlessly through her tears. "I actually wish I was mute right now. Then no one could hear me crying."

Jim sighed. "Let's get out of here."

* * *

Flounder found Ariel in their old grotto, half-heartedly modeling the modified blue gown in front of a large, broken mirror.

"It looks good on you," the fish offered, pressing his head beneath her hand. Ariel didn't reply, and an awkward silence settled over the two friends. "Soooo," Flounder awkwardly continued, "how did your date with Jim go yesterday?"

The mermaid caught her breath. "It was- nice-" Ariel tensed, then sighed, unable to keep anything from her longtime friend. "He's- leaving. Tomorrow. He wants me to wear this dress to see him off." She turned away from the mirror as if repulsed by her reflection. "He wants me to look happy while he abandons me."

"Oh Ariel, he's not abandoning you, he's just-" Flounder searched for the right words, then settled for the obvious "-going home."

"Yeah, well," Ariel pulled the gown over her head and let it fall to the ocean floor, "I'm not sure what home is anymore."

Flounder frowned slightly. "Well, no matter where you live," he said carefully, "you will always be my best friend."

Ariel smirked. "Likewise, you sap," she grinned, hugging him tightly.

"Knock, knock!" an unexpected voice called from the entrance.

"Who's there?" Ariel asked with a smile.

"Only the most amazing merman in the seven seas." Urchin leaned into the pale sunlight, still resting against the stone doorframe. "What's up?"

"Oh, just preparing for the love of my life to travel billions of miles away." Ariel sighed, her smile fading. "No biggie."

"So you're giving up, then?" the merman asked gently, swimming forward to put a hand on the princess's shoulder. "I mean, I've still got a potion with your name on it."

"No more potions," Ariel said tiredly, "and no more adventures. I've learned my lesson." She sighed. "Besides, I can't betray my family, not again."

"Speaking of whom," Urchin interjected, remembering something, "the old man wants to speak with you. He sent me to come getcha."

Ariel exchanged confused glances with Flounder, then looked back to Urchin. "Really? About what?"

"I'm not sure," he replied, tapping his chin, "but judging by the look on his face, it can't be good."

* * *

On the morning of his departure, Jim shook hands until his fingers went numb. It's kind of funny, he thought, as more strangers came forward to say goodbye. I arrived on this planet in secret with no friends, and now that everyone knows my identity, I'm the man of the hour. He pried his hand away from a particularly enthusiastic fan. Humans are so fickle.

Humans were not his only fans, however. Jim high-stepped into the surf where tens of mer-people, including all of Ariel's sisters, waited to bid him adieu.

"It's so nice to _finally_ meet you," a brunette princess, introduced as Adella, cooed.

"Yeah," another, Andrina, agreed, "Ariel has talked so much about you. You seem nice enough. But if you _ever_-"

"I'm Arista!" a third sister interrupted, shaking Jim's hand emphatically. "Charmed, I'm sure!"

"Umm, yeah," Jim smiled tightly, rubbing his squeezed knuckles, "Where is Ariel, by the way?"

"Oh, she's- around, I'm sure," Attina said uneasily.

"Probably still getting ready," Alana cut in. "She's such a beauty queen."

Jim nodded, but as he made his way back to shore, an uneasy knot twisted in the pit of his stomach.

Captain Harris was breathing in deeply when his apprentice rejoined him.

"Clear skies, a strong, westerly wind- perfect day for sailing." He elbowed Jim in the arm. "Even your kind of sailing, lad." When Jim didn't respond, the captain leaned forward to get a better look at the youth's overshadowed face. "What's wrong, boyo? You're going home, back to your element. You should be excited!"

Jim pursed his lips. "I am. It's just-"

"Hey, stupid!" came a high, annoyed voice. Jim looked down. It was Jimbo and his crew of street urchins. The leader had his hands on his hips. "Where's da princess?"

"Yea!" said Felix. "Dee red one. Where's she?"

Jim sighed and rubbed his forehead irritably. "She's not here yet."

"Well, she betta get here soon," Manda said, hugging a rag doll, "or she'll miss the show!"

Harris noticed Jim's crestfallen look and took control of the situation. "Well, kiddos, I'm sure she'll show up soon, so run along. There's some good young 'uns- ah, Jim, here's the sea king now!"

King Triton extended the surf five feet further onto shore to approach the spacer, his body half-concealed by a pillar of water. Jim walked over to him.

"Your Highness," he greeted with a small bow.

Triton nodded appreciatively. "Mr. Hawkins. Are you prepared to go?"

"To be honest, sir," Jim said, "I'm not. Ariel hasn't arrived yet, and I was wondering-"

"I don't know where she is either, son," Triton interrupted, a worried look on his face. "She's not in the palace, or in her grotto, and I sent Urchin to search for her an hour ago."

"Then I'll go find her-"

"No." Triton said sternly. "My daughter's insolence is her own folly. Stay and bid farewell to your friends. I'm sure Urchin will find her in due course."

Jim acquiesced, because at that moment he spotted Prince Eric and Princess Jeanette running hand-in-hand up the beach toward him, Max galloping beside them.

"Sorry we're late, old boy," Eric panted, shaking Jim's hand with his free one. "Jean insists that we write all the wedding gift thank-you letters ourselves instead of having servants do them." He grinned tiredly. "We've been at it all morning."

"So, vere is your flying sheep entourage?" Jeanette asked, seeing nothing on the beach besides Jim's crowd of well-wishers.

The spacer looked up from petting Max. "They arrive at noon."

"Ahh, zat vill be quite a show, no?"

"Um, yeah, I guess." Jim turned toward the ocean, rubbing his left arm anxiously.

Eric frowned. "What's wrong, friend?"

"My daughter has yet to show herself," Triton informed the newcomers, "and it is five minutes till midday."

"I should have known this might happen," Jim muttered. "She was really upset when we parted ways last night, but I thought at least Sebastian would come say good-bye."

"Sebastian is in Atlantica, looking after it so I could come to the surface. A king's work is never done, after all."

"I couldn't agree more," a deep, feminine voice concurred. The voice belonged to a tall woman, her copper hair streaked with grey. She had deep blue eyes, and her skin was tanned from many months at sea. She wore grey trousers and a simple green tunic and vest, her only finery a gold signet ring on her right hand. In all of her simplicity, however, she radiated confidence and power.

"Mother!" Eric greeted happily. The queen nodded her acknowledgment then turned to Jim, a small smile on her full lips.

"I never did express my gratitude to you for helping my son slay that beast," she said in her cool voice. "Please know that our gratitude is infinite and our gates always open for you."

"I will remember this honor. Thank you, Your Majesty." Jim bowed, and the noble nodded in return.

The queen redirected her gaze to Triton. "In light of recent events, the other rulers of Earth and myself are convening to discuss the future of this planet regarding the Intergalatic Space Union. Would you care to join us?"

"I will talk with my advisors, but I believe that can be arranged," Triton said solemnly.

"Good." The queen nodded, then, as if distracted by something, raised her face to the bright sky. "Young Hawkins," she mused, "I believe you consort has arrived."

In the end, Captain Harris and Captain Amelia had to force Jim into the skiff.

"Wait!" He fought desperately as the feline officer pulled him in by his jacket. "Please, Ariel's not here yet!"

"Jim, if the girl wasn't here before, she's not turning up now," Amelia said with no sympathy, "and we have a ship to catch."

"But if we just wait a little longer, she'll-"

"Hawkins!" Amelia hissed. "This is not behavior becoming of a future ISU officer. Now _sit down_, or so help me, I will shoot you in the kneecaps." She meant it, too.

Jim sat with a huff, his anger quelled and pride bruised.

The humans and mer-people on the shoreline gasped in awe as the skiff's motor rammed into gear.

"King Triton!" Jim yelled over the noise, leaning over the edge, but held in his seat by Doctor Doppler, who had tagged along. "Tell Ariel I love her! That I'll always love her!"

The king called something in return, but the spacer couldn't hear him over the roaring of the engine. Jim gripped the rim of the boat hard, tears stinging his eyes as the longboat sped into the sky.

* * *

"Out of all the Academy's students, you would be the one to pull something like this, Hawkins," Amelia commented as they cruised through the clouds. "I was barely surprised when I got the news."

"Am I in trouble?" Jim asked sarcastically, petting Morph as the creature rolled around on his shoulder.

"Not precisely," Doppler replied. He had been the Professor of Astrophysics at the Academy for about a year now, so was almost as informed as his wife, Amelia. "If your cover had been blown for selfish purposes, you would have been expelled. However, since the Earth queen, King Triton, and your Earthen mentor all gave shining reviews as to your conduct on their planet, expulsion has been waved. Your only 'punishment' is that, due to your shortened period on Earth, you may be at a disadvantage when writing your evaluation."

Jim grunted, not concerned.

"The ISU itself is not taking any action against you because your adventure may serve as a boon," Amelia continued, not taking her eyes off the horizon. "Because of your exposure, the Earth dignitaries might choose to change their stance on interplanetary peace and join the Intergalatic Space Union."

Jim didn't reply, absentmindedly poking his shapeshifter as Morph swirled into different shapes.

"But apparently, you don't care about any of this." Doppler pouted.

Amelia laid a hand on her husband's shoulder. "It's been a rough few weeks for him, dear."

Their ward ignored them, staring down at the ever-shrinking planet and trying not to think about her hair, her laugh, or how much he already missed her.

* * *

They docked the skiff in the hull of the _ISA Vertigo_ half an hour later, and Jim stepped onto a solar ship for the first time in over three weeks. He sighed contentedly. Morph whipped excitedly around the skiff bay, glad to be back in space as well. Amelia immediately ran up the stairs to the main deck, leaving Jim to tie off the longboat.

"Why don't you go rest in the captain quarters for a while?" Doppler suggested as the spacer finished. "I'd rather not," Jim said softly, not looking up from his work. "I'm not tired, and I don't think my mind will let me sleep, anyway." The doctor sighed, but let him be. The two trekked above-deck as the engines roared to life, preparing for take-off.

"You're not resting?" Captain Amelia asked from the helm as Jim and the doctor emerged into the sunlight.

"What is with you people and me 'resting'?" the spacer laughed wryly, leaning against the bulwark and breathing in the thin space air gratefully. "I'm fine, really," he lied. His spirits were heightened considerably by his return to space, but Ariel's absence that morning still troubled him. Jim's brows furrowed and his jaw clenched as he realized he would probably never return to Earth again.

If only he could see her, hold her one more time- Jim pushed angrily away from the railing. He needed work; something to keep his hands from shaking.

He must have asked every crew member on the ship for a job, but the ship was too well-employed and low maintenance to keep the spacer busy for long. Besides, no matter what he did, he couldn't stop thinking about Ariel.

Finally, he decided to take the doctor's and Amelia's advice and try to escape his conscience through sleep.

When Jim told Captain Amelia his plans, she agreed with a queer smile on her face, and hurried him along like she couldn't wait to get rid of him. Makes sense, Jim thought as he walked defeatedly down the short hallway to the captain's room. I'm not of much use, especially with the mental condition I'm in. A nap will do me some good. He turned the door's gilded handle and pulled it open.

"Do you _mind_?" a blond man yelped at Jim's intrusion, causing both teenagers to jump. The strange youth wore only a pair of boxer shorts and was apparently very sensitive about it, covering himself as best he could. When Jim just stared at him, bewildered, the blond ran forward and slammed the door in his face.

Jim frowned inquisitively at the door, shrugged, and turned to walk back down the hall. He was a bit shaken and more than a little irritated by the short and strange accident. Amelia must have known there was someone in her rooms, so why did she and Doppler insist on his sleeping there?

"Urchin, what's the matter?" came a voice from behind the door. Jim stopped in his tracks. It couldn't be.

"Some guy just barged in like he owned the place, so I kicked him out! Don't people knock in space?"

"Here, I found you some clothes," the feminine voice continued. "So what did this 'guy' look like? - No, it goes on _this_ way..."

There was a rustling of fabric, and the blond, Urchin, scoffed. "Medium height, blue eyes, and brown hair with a weird little ponytail-"

Something behind the door dropped with a thud, but Jim found he couldn't move to investigate. He didn't want to investigate and be disappointed; he quite liked this hallucination.

"A-Ariel?" asked a different, wavering voice.

The mention of her name shook Jim from his spell, and he turned heel and headed purposefully for the captain's door.

"Aryal, wait!" another familiar voice called. "Don't go out dea! De cap-tin told us-"

Jim yanked the door open and there, in the doorway, stood Ariel, who had been reaching for the door as well.

"Jim!" she gasped breathlessly. She had legs again, and wore the blue gown he had bought for her. "Jim, I know you didn't want me to come, but I can explain, I-"

She was cut off by Jim's lips pressed again hers.

"Explain later," he murmured, then resumed the kiss, holding her so close she couldn't breathe. Ariel wrapped her arms around him with equal desperation, ecstatic to feel his mouth against hers again.

After a few minutes of warm reunion, the couple broke apart due to the uncomfortable clearing of throats from their onlookers. "You still taste like sea water, even as a human." Jim mused, his arms still around her waist. "Hey, what do I taste like?"

"Hmmmm," Ariel pondered for a moment, then leaned her head against his chest with a sigh. "Home."

Jim looked down at her, a bit thrown. "Ariel, that doesn't make sense."

"Does everything have to make sense with you?" she huffed. "Just let me enjoy the moment."

Jim laughed.

* * *

Epilogue

"Now, explain," Jim ordered, sitting down on the captain's bed.

Ariel sat next to him with her legs criss-crossed, rocking back and forth gently. "Well, you'll be surprised to know that none of this was my idea," she began. "I wanted to be with you, of course, but I didn't know how to go about it.

"The day before the ship came, Daddy invited me into the throne room. He began by telling me he loved me and wanted what's best for me. 'However,' he said, 'Sometimes what you need isn't what's best. Which is why I'm giving you the choice of going with the alien boy.'" Ariel paused, noticing the dumbfounded look on Jim's face.

"Umm, Jim?"

He didn't reply, still trying to process what she had said. He had listened to his friends complain about the families they were blessed with, but the idea that a parent would ask his child to leave was something Jim couldn't fathom.

"Why- why would he do that?" he finally asked.

"All children leave the nest eventually, Jim," Ariel said softly. "Even you left your mother to go to school. I love my father and I always will, but it's time for me to fly." She giggled. "Literally.

"So, I made my decision and he turned me human. This morning he saw me off on the first-" she searched for the words, using hand signals to elaborate "-flying boat thing."

"The Cowardly Lionfish and I got aboard by more controversial means," Urchin cut in, eager to tell his part in the story. "I had a couple potions left over from Ariel's original get-on-land-and-marry-the-prince plot, so we turned ourselves human and smuggled into the skiff when the old man wasn't looking."

"I think he saw us," the other boy, about eleven, whispered. He sat against the bed's headboard in the fetal position, clothed in simple khaki pants and a navy blue tunic. His gold mohawk was streaked with blue.

"Shut it, Flounder, he did not!" Urchin barked.

"Anyway!" Ariel continued, glaring a warning at her friends, "I think my dad suspected I would run away on my own, so a few days ago he sent word to the captain and arranged for travel papers to be written up. I'm even enrolled in the Interstellar Academy!"

"But it's illegal for non-ISU planets to acquire travel papers." Jim frowned, "something to do with liability."

"It is?" The princess looked confused. "But we got them from an old friend of yours, free of charge. What was his name?" Ariel bit her lip, trying to remember, though Jim was pretty certain he already knew. "Mr. Copper?" She ventured. "John Gold?"

"John Silver," the spacer chuckled, shaking his head. "I was wondering when he would turn up. So he got you papers for free, did he?"

"Well, he reserved the right to call in a favor, but from what Daddy said, he seems friendly. He even said he would check up on me every now and again."

"Why, that nosy little-" Jim caught himself mid-rant and cleared his throat. "Please, continue. What are you going to do when we get to the Academy? Surely not space-craft."

"What, you don't think I could?" She nudged his arm. "But no. Actually, I'm going into politics." Ariel beamed, sitting up a little straighter. "You're looking at the first ISU ambassador-in-training for the planet Earth!"

"Dat was my idea!" Sebastian piped up, crawling onto Ariel's thigh. "Afta her fodder tole' me how well she did at de peace meeting, Ah thot, if she's goin' to space, she might as well be useful. Besides, pol-eetics ees her calling." He patted her leg proudly. "She ees a preen-cess, afta all."

"That's a great idea, Sebastian," Jim appeased with a lopsided grin, then caught Ariel's gaze once more.

"I have to admit, this is a lot to take in," he said. "I can't even argue with it, since you didn't even execute the plan yourself. I am thankful for that, by the way." The spacer took the princess's hands and smiled at their entwined fingers. "Thank you for respecting my opinions on family enough to stay behind. But I have to warn you," his eyes clouded over as he looked up, "I'm not sure when you'll be able to see your family again."

Ariel grinned. "Look at this!" She released his hands to retrieve a pink purse she had thrown onto the bed, withdrawing a rather large conch shell.

"Ariel," Jim said matter-of-factly. "That's a shell."

"But it's a magical shell," Ariel replied mysteriously. "If I say the right words into the shell, it will take me home. It's only a one-way trip, though, so I have to be careful."

Jim exhaled heavily, the reality of their situation weighing on his shoulders. "So, we're really doing this." He stood, wondering if this was a weight he could bear. "You know, galactic politics isn't a walk in the park. Now that Earth has drawn ISU attention, you'll be under heavy pressure to represent Earth as a strong planetary contender and keep the vultures at bay."

"I'll have Sebastian to help me with that. You know he's a fighter." Ariel grinned. "Besides, Daddy thought _you_ got the worst end of the deal, space boy." She stood as well, poking him in the chest. "You have to keep _me_ in line."

Jim opened his mouth to retort about that being a piece of cake, then reconsidered. This really would be a hard job.

"Well, let's go see what's going on on-deck!" Ariel suggested, a bit restless. "We were thrown in here upon arriving, so I haven't gotten to see much."

"Yeah!" Urchin whooped, running for the door. "I want to try 'climbing.' It looks like a lot of fun!" He pushed the door open and ran down the hall before them.

Ariel grinned and grabbed one of Jim's hands, then reached out to Flounder. "Come on, scaredy-fish," she coaxed when he shook his head. "This is just another adventure. And look on the bright side; there are no sharks in space!" Flounder grinned at this and clambered off the bed to grasp the princess's hand.

"Wait up fo' me!" Sebastian called, trying to find a safe way off of the high, four-poster bed. Morph formed a small staircase for the crab to crawl down, giggling as the crustacean crawled down his back.

"Tank you," Sebastian said, warding off Morph's licks and latching onto Ariel's dress.

"Why do I feel like my life is going to get _so_ much more complicated for this?" Jim groaned, walking onto the main deck to find Urchin was already in trouble with the quartermaster.

Ariel laughed and kissed him warmly. "It's your own fault," she accused playfully, "for falling in love with a mermaid."

The Beginning.

* * *

**Yeah. That's the end. It feels so... weird. 0.0 Hope you liked the ride! I'm proud (and lucky) I finished it. I don't plan on formally writing any more Jim/Ariel, but if you want to continue with the story, be my guest. :D  
**

**OK, if you donated toward the book, please e-mail me the address you want the book sent to (it doesn't have to be your home. It can be a PO box or church or grandma's house. I don't care, I'm not a creeper :)). The wait might still be a while, but you'll get them. :D**

**Thank you all again for the reading and encouragement!  
**


	16. Resale

For clarification (since I've had a lot of questions), I will be re-releasing Landlocked for sale, hopefully by November 1st. :)


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